Time to Burn
by mistskeeper
Summary: What is making the usually cheerful Ken snap at his friends and why does he always freak out when he gets hot? Who can help him through his breakdown? What is the secret that he's keeping from his teammates? SchuKen RanKen
1. Past nightmare

Time to Burn

Keeper: This is my first fic so please be nice. puppy eyes It will eventually be a Ran/Ken fic. There will be some Schuldig/Ken action. Meaning this is yaoi so if you don't like guy/guy action or are offended, there's the back button. There will be bad language and this is also an AU.

Kat-Goddess: Why would anyone read this crap?

Keeper: That wasn't very nice! pouts

Kat-Goddess: So what's your point?

Keeper: bleh! As you people know, I don. . . I don't. . . I can't do it! Mist will you do the disclaimer? breaks down crying

Mist: sighs My Keeper does not own any of the characters nor will she ever.

_dreams_

/thoughts/

"talking"

_"Kase are you here?" A brunette asked as he entered a warehouse._

"_Over here Ken." The one that was called Kase answered._

_Ken walked over to where he had heard his lover's voice coming from near some crates._

"_Why did you ask me to come here?" He asked his dark haired companion._

"_There was something that I needed to talk to you about." Kase replied._

"_What is it? Is there something wrong?" Ken asked._

"_Yes, actually there is."_

"_What is it? You know that you can tell me anything." The brunette said getting worried. He was getting a bad feeling about this, he had always trusted his instincts and now they were telling him something wasn't right._

"_Well," Kase said coming closer to the young soccer player to caress his cheek. "The problem is you."_

_Ken wasn't even expecting it, one moment one of the people that he loved most was caressing his cheek and the next moment he had punched him, knocking him down from the force of the blow. His instincts were now screaming at him that something was wrong and he needed to get out of there! He brought his hand up to where his lover had hit him on the jaw and stared at him. He couldn't understand why Kase had hit him, he hadn't done anything wrong. Right?_

"_W. . .why did you hit me? Did I do something wrong? If I did I'm sorry."_

"_Yes, you did something wrong." He said coming to knell in front of Ken._

"_What did I do wrong?" _

"_Everything."_

"_I don't understand."_

"_I hate you!"_

"_What do you mean?" He asked his lover not sure if he heard right._

"_Everyone loves you. No one notices me!"_

"_That's not true!"_

"_YES IT IS!" He screamed at Ken. "It's always 'Look it's Ken, he's so great.' 'Ken is so cute.' 'Ken is the best player on the team.' 'Did you see Ken win the game?' 'Ken this! Ken that! What about me?"_

"_Kase. . ."_

"_I'll never be recognized with you around and that is why I have to get rid of you now."_

"_Why Kase? I love you. . ." Ken pleaded but was cut off._

"_No you don't, you broke off half of our dates because something came up with that bitch!" He said through clenched teeth. He then punched Ken in the jaw again causing him to fall on his back._

_Ken got up slowly rubbing his jaw, he couldn't believe that his lover actually hated him because of something as trivial as being good at soccer. Ken thought he was good at soccer but he didn't think that he was great at it like everyone claimed him to be._

"_I never knew you felt that way. I'll leave you alone." Ken said backing towards the door._

"_I don't think you understand Ken," Kase said ginning as he stood up. "When I said I was going to get rid of you, I meant that I was going to kill you."_

_Suddenly someone grabbed Ken from behind and held him so he could not get away. The dark haired teen came over to stand in front of him still grinning. The young athlete sensed movement to his left, he turned to look and saw two men walking towards them. The two men were obviously body builders, they looked like they didn't have any necks, they were so big. The two men came to stand on either side of Kase making it so that Ken could not get away even if he wanted to. His instincts were now in overdrive, screaming even louder than before if it was possible, making it hard for him to concentrate._

_The man on Kase's left had short blond hair and brown eyes. He grinned at the younger man and crossed his arms or at least tried to. His muscles were so big that they got in the way so he couldn't cross his arms properly. The other man had blond hair to his shoulders and also had brown eyes. He looked like the other man so Ken assumed that they were brothers. Instead of crossing his arms like his 'brother' they hung loosely at his sides and his face was blank and unreadable._

"_Well Ken," Kase said as he stopped smiling at the goalie. "It was nice while it lasted."_

_This time the brunette saw the fist coming but he could not avoid it because of the man holding him from behind. The fist smashed into his stomach, he would have doubled over but the man behind him tightened his grip keeping him up._

"_Have fun boys, but remember not to kill him. I want him to suffer." Kase stated to the three men and then walked away._

_Ken stared at his supposed lover in disbelief. Kase had said that he wanted to kill him but he told the three body builders not to kill him? That didn't make any sense. What difference did it make if these guys killed him? What was Kase planning?_

_The goalies thoughts were interrupted when the man with short hair began punching him. Soon the other one joined in. They were beating him so badly that he didn't notice when the man that had been holding him, dropped him and started beating him also. The beating seemed to last an eternity, he barely heard when Kase called the three body builders off. The black haired teen came to stand in front of the battered body of the brunette lying on his side. He stood there staring down at Ken for some time, he finally moved and came back to stand in front of the athlete again with something in his hands. Kase tipped it over Ken letting the liquid splash on him._

_/It burns! Why does the water burn my cuts?/ Ken thought and then his eyes widened in realization. It wasn't water, it was gas! /Gods he wouldn't do that would he?/_

_After Kase was satisfied the soccer player was dowsed enough with the gas, he began to make a trail from the battered body of his once lover to the door. Once he got to the door he tossed the container away and pulled a book of matches out of his pocket._

"_Don't worry Ken," Kase said as hestruck a match. "That little bitch will be joining you shortly."_

_Kase started to laugh and dropped the match. The gas caught fire instantly, rushing down the path towards Ken. Kase turned and left, the three men following him._

"_NO!" Ken yelled as he realized what the black haired soccer player had said. The fire finally reached Ken, setting his clothes a blaze._

_/No! I can't let him kill her too!/ Ken thought as he struggled to get up._

Ken bolted up from his bed barely managing to suppress a scream. He rubbed his hands over his face whipping the sweat off his face. Panting and covered in sweat from the nightmare or rather the memory he just had, he willed himself to calm down.

/Damn! It's been three years since that happened/ The goalie thought and then growled. /Gods it's so fucking hot!/

The assassin looked over at his clock and groaned as he read the glowing red numbers that seemed to proudly state that it was 3:37 at night.

/Might as well take a shower since I'm not gonna get back to sleep tonight./ Sighing he got out of bed heading towards the door. He stepped out into the hallway closing his door behind him walking over to the closet, he grabbed a towel and proceeded into the bathroom.

The brown haired assassin flicked the light on and then had to shut his eyes from the blinding light.

"Should have left the damn lights off." He growled to himself.

When his eyes finally adjusted to the light he walked over to the shower, tossing his towel on the toilet seat. He cranked the cold water on all the way and stepped in. He wasn't sure how long he stood there just letting the cold water pour over him, it felt so good on his over heated body. He finally got around to washing his hair and then his body. The brown eyed youth stood there for a few more minutes before he finally turned off the water and got out to dry himself off.

"Damn. I forgot to grab another pair of boxers. Well no one else is up." Ken said wrapping the towel around his waist. He was just about to grab the door knob when he sensed movement on the other side of the door.

/Fuck someone is up!/

The bugnuk wielder quickly put on his boxers and wrapped the towel around his shoulders hiding his burn scars. Before he opened the door he turned off the light, after all he didn't want anyone to see them, because then they would ask how he got them and that was NOT something that he wanted to talk about. He took a deep breath and opened the door. Ken stood in the doorway in shock, he had not expected Aya, of all people to be up.

"Aya what are you doing there?" Ken asked nervously as he clutched the towel tighter around his shoulders making sure the scars were covered.

"Waiting to use the bathroom." He replied dryly.

"Oh"

Aya stood there waiting for Ken to move, when he didn't Aya crossed his arms over his chest and arched an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Are you going to move so I can get in there?"

"Oh. . . uh. . . yeah right sorry." Ken stammered and quickly brushed past Aya, practically running to his room. He missed the confused look that the redhead gave him.

Keeper: Wow Ken sure does like saying the 'd' word a lot.

Mist: I really don't blame him, I would be like that too.

Keeper: I guess. I hope you guys liked it please review!

Kat-Goddess: Who would like this? And you want to be an author.

Mist: Be nice to my Keeper.

Kat-Goddess: I don't have too.

Mist: growls Be nice anyways.

Kat-Goddess: looking nervous I think I hear Sephiroth-sama calling me runs off

Mist: Please review, it would make my Keeper happy.


	2. The Heat

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Oh my god!! I didn't expect to get so many reviews in one day! You guys are the best! (tries to glomp reviewers but is grabbed by Mist)

Mist: I'm sure the reviewers don't want you jumping on them.

Keeper: I guess you're right. Your reviews really made my day, you made me one happy Keeper! AND I'm on some ones author alert! I love you guys! (tries to glomp but is grabbed by Mist again) Because of that I'm updating sooner than I had planed too.

Kou: You mean someone actually liked this?

Keeper: (screams and jumps into Mist's arms) Fudge Monkey's Don't do that Kou!

Kou: (gives Keeper a weird look) Do what?

Mist: You know how jumpy she is. (sets her down)

Keeper: Now that I have had my heart attack I would like to remind you people that this is AU, (and I should have mentioned it in the first chap but it came to me after I posted it Reji Takatori has not been killed yet) bad language, and is yaoi so if you don't like it there is the back button and make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out. On with the story!

Mist: Aren't you forgetting something?

Keeper: Oh yeah, all errors that I don't catch, I'm sorry I don't have a beta.

Mist: Not that the disclaimer.

Keeper: You Know I can't say it!

Kou: I'll do it.

Keeper: Really?!

Kou: Yep. Keeper does not own ANYTHING so if you try to sue her you would be wasting your time, you would get more money from a homeless person.

Keeper: That was mean! (starts sobbing)

Kou: (shrugs shoulders) It's the truth.

Mist: (sighs) Please enjoy the story.

Ken practically ran to his room he had to stop himself before he slammed his door that would raise some questions and he really didn't want to explain why he ran from Aya and slammed his door. He was the happy-go-lucky one of the group it just wouldn't be right if someone found out that he was really depressed.

/Damn that was a little too close./ Ken thought as he sagged against his door. /It's times like this that I'm glad that I my senses are as good as they are./

The brown eyed youth pushed himself away from his door and walked towards his stereo to turn it on. After he turn on his stereo he turned to look at his clock to see what time it was and couldn't believe it, he had to stare at it for five minutes before it finally sunk in as to what time it was. The red numbers read 6:45, he had spent over three hours in the shower!

"Well that explains why Aya was up. It's almost time to open the shop. I guess I better get dressed since I open up with him."

The brunette sighed he started to get dressed, he really did NOT want to work today. He could tell that it was going to be a particularly hot day even for being summer. He was more of a fall and winter person if he had his way it would be fall and winter all year long. He had never really like spring and summer, he could tolerate it but he didn't like it. After Kase had tried to burn him alive the heat had become unbearable, he couldn't stand it if the temperature was seventy and if it was above that it would become so unbearable that it was almost to the point of driving him mad and it seemed to get worse every year.

After Ken finished dressing he turned off his stereo and headed down stairs to help Aya open the shop. He had made it clear by threatening everyone that he would not work in the afternoons during spring and summer. The others had asked him why he refused to work the afternoons, he simply growled at them saying that it was none of their business and that if they didn't let him have the afternoons off he would skin them alive, break a knee so they couldn't run and then toss them in the tiger cage at the zoo. The other assassins shocked to hear their usually cheerful friend threaten them like that, quickly agreed to let him have the afternoons off and never brought it up around him again.

He got to the shop just as the redhead flipped over the sign saying that they were now open. He mumbled a 'morning' to his leader and went directly over to water the plants. The soccer player felt Aya staring at him but ignored it. When he was done watering the plants he shut the water off and went to get ready for the morning rush. When the rush was finally over because all the girls had to get to school or be late, he went to trim some of the plants that were in dire need of it. He became engrossed with his task that he didn't notice that Aya was staring at him again. He turned to go to another plant only to find Aya looking at him.

"What? Are my clothes on backwards?" He asked looking at his clothes to make sure that they were on right, he was so flustered earlier that he wouldn't doubt it if he had put them on wrong. But one of the girls that had a silly crush on him would have said something. Right?

"Why were you up so early?"

Ken's head snapped up when he heard Aya's soft voice. He had not expected him to say anything other than his usual 'hn' so that had put him into shock so he stood there staring at his leader like he had sprouted another head. The redhead not a patient man, crossed his arms and glared at the brunette.

"Well?" He demanded.

Ken snapped out of his shock and answered. "Well what?"

"Why were you up so early?" He asked irritability he hated to repeat himself.

"I wanted to take a shower."

"At four in the morning?"

It was only going on 9:30 in the morning and the heat was already starting to make him irritable and he did not want to answer any questions that did not concern the other man. He could do whatever he wanted, when he wanted! He did NOT need permission from the redhead.

"Not that it is any of your business, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to take a shower. I didn't realize that I needed your approval to take a shower." He growled. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go grab some more soil from the back."

And with that Ken stormed off to the back to get the soil and to clam down before he did something that he would regret doing, like killing the sword carrying assassin. And for the second time that day he left a confused Aya staring after him.

/What's with him?! Like it's any of his fucking business when I take a shower! Okay Hidaka clam down breath in . . . . breath out . . . . in . . . . out. Fuckin' A! It's too hot!/

The brunette started to pant heavily sweat soaking his clothes like he just got done running five miles. The room was on fire, he had to get out of there! There was no way that he would let himself be burned alive again. He turned and sprinted out of the small room. He ran through the shop startling Aya.

"Ken?" The redhead asked but received no answer from the brown and red blur that he barely managed to make out as Ken.

Ken didn't even hear when Aya called after him. All he could think about was getting somewhere cold. He was sure that if he didn't get somewhere cold soon flames would appear on him and he would burn like he did three years ago. He raced up the stairs taking them two at a time, heading straight for the bathroom. At that time Yohji just happened to be coming out of the bathroom when all of a sudden he was shoved out of the way and hit the wall due to the force of the shove and the next thing he knew the door was slamming shut and locking.

/What the hell?/ Yohji thought as he heard the shower turn on. He had a suspicion that it was Ken that had ran into the bathroom, so he decided to go down to the shop and ask Aya if he knew what was up with the brown eyed boy.

Ken jumped into the shower turning the cold water all the way on like he did earlier that morning. He didn't even bother with removing any of his clothes. He stood there with his head tilted back letting the water pour over his face and soaking his clothes. He eventually removed his shoes and socks but leaving his clothes on. In the back of his mind he realized that he didn't have a change of clothes and he really did not want to put his clothes back on if he took them off. Ken then grabbed the stopper and plugged the drain letting the tub fill up as he stretched out in it. When the tub was about to overflow he turned the water off. The assassin sunk down so that his nose was just above the water so he could breath. It was so nice! He wanted to stay in the cool water forever but knowing that he would eventually have to get out but right now he would block out the rest of the world.

Yohji wandered down to the shop to see the leader there by himself, confirming his suspicion about it being Ken that had run into the bathroom. He walked over to where Aya was sitting behind the counter.

"What's up with Ken? He just shoved me into a wall to get into the bathroom." The blond asked his leader.

"I don't know, he went to go get some soil from the back and the next thing I know he's running upstairs." He replied nonchalantly like he didn't care.

"There's something seriously wrong with him."

"Hn." Was all the reply that he got from the redhead as he became lost in his thoughts trying to figure out what was wrong with the soccer player.

"I guess I'll have to help you until Ken gets back." Yohji said. "What was he doing before he ran off?"

"He was going to transplant some of the flowers."

The playboy nodded his head and went to do what the brunette had attempted to do before he had freaked out and ran up stairs to the bathroom. The blond was beyond confused he could not understand why Ken would get cranky. What made him so cranky? It wasn't like him to be like that after all he didn't have anything to get depressed about like he did. One of these days he was going to corner him and make the younger man tell him what was wrong.

But unknown to him and everyone else, Ken had one of the worst pasts that a person can have. How many people can say that the person that they thought loved them had tried to burn them alive and then killed the most important person to them?

Yohji looked at the clock it was now going on noon and Ken had not come back down. He was getting a little irritated and a little worried, the soccer player usually came back after an hour. It had been two and a half hours and he was no where to be seen so he decided that he would go check on him.

"I'll be right back I'm going to check on him."

Aya nodded in response as the blond headed for the stairs. He guessed that he would still be in the bathroom so that was where he went. He reached the bathroom and stopped in front of the door and tried to open the door but found that it was still locked.

/Yep he's still in there. What's he doing in there for so long?/ He thought as he knocked on the door.

Ken had almost fallen asleep when he heard someone come to stand in front of the door, try to open it and then knock. He quickly sat up wondering who it was briefly before he sensed that it was the blond playboy.

"Kenken are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You've been in there for a while are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes I'm sure! Now could you leave me alone?" He growled.

"Alright, alright, no need to bit my head off!" He replied and walked off.

Ken slumped back down into the water. /Man don't they know when to leave well enough alone?/

Keeper: (still crying) I hope you guys liked this chapter.

Kou: Who in there right mind would read this crap?

Mist: Be nice. Keeper why don't you thank the people who reviewed.

Keeper: (stops crying) Okay.

Purdy-Puppy: I was wondering when you would get around to reading this! Love ya dude!

Anendee: Thank you for the review! I think you're the only one to catch that, but you will have to wait a bit longer to find out who she is. I just now got a name for her But Know that she is VERY important to Kenken.

Carrothien: Thanks SO much! That really means a lot to me

HeatherR: I noticed that too. I have this really huge fascination with scars. It's all about the scars baby! Believe me it WILL be interesting.

M4r1-ch4n: You made me a very happy Keeper for reviewing I agree I think Ken-sama had the worst past, I mean being burned and betrayed by your best friend! Unfortunately it will be a little while before the Shu/Ken action happens. But please stay with me it will happen!

Westkitsune: My first reviewer! I love you! (glomps) Unfortunately it will take awhile for the Ran/Ken action because I don't like it when it is rushed. But please stay with me also it will happen.

Stephy-chan and Jeny-chan: Thank you for listening to this from over two thousand miles away so I was able to catch most of my mistakes!

Mist: why don't you give them something.

Keeper: That's a great idea! (rummages around in closet) Hey what about this Mist plushie I got?

Mist: You have a plushie of me?! You can't give that away! (snatches plushie)

Keeper: Of course I do. But I guess you're right that's the only one I have. (goes back into closet) How about a Ran/Ken/Schuldig set complete with leash for Kenken!

Kat-Goddess: You mean someone actually read this?

Kou: That's what I said.

Keeper: You guys are so mean!

Mist: Please review and make my Keeper happy.


	3. The Silence

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Please Mist.

Mist: No.

Keeper: Just this once?

Mist: NO!

Keeper: But. . .

Mist: Why don't you get Sephiroth to do it?

Keeper: But I don't want to fill out a foot of paper work.

Mist: You won't have to. Kat-Goddess is coming and she's dragging Sephiroth with her.

Kat-Goddess: I can't believe people actually reading and liking this.

Keeper: Can I get Sephiroth-sama to do an Aya impression for me?

Kat-Goddess: (glares at Keeper)

Keeper: Oh come on you're right here.

Kat-Goddess: Fine.

Keeper: Yay! Okay Sephiroth-sama I want you to throw your sword in the air and yell 'Takatori'.

Sephiroth: No.

Keeper: Come on!

Sephiroth: NO!

Keeper: Why not?

Sephiroth: I am NOT throwing Masasmune!

Kat-Goddess: (pulls out a katana and shoves it at Sephiroth)

Sephiroth: I hate you all. (sighs) CLOUD! (throws sword in air)

All: (blink, blink)

Keeper: That wasn't exactly an Aya impression.

Sephiroth: Well Taka-whatever his name is, isn't my enemy Cloud is.

Mist: He has a point.

Keeper: I guess. Remember AU, bad language, will be yaoi so if you don't like it there is the back button make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out.

Mist: Disclaimer Keeper.

Keeper: I refuse to do it!

Kat-Goddess: I'll do it. Keeper Does not own ANYTHING so if you sued her all you would get is some dust if you were lucky.

Keeper: Did you have to say it like that? Well I hope you guys like this chap.

Ken hated the silence almost as much as he hated the heat. At first he could care less if it was quiet or not but after Kase had betrayed him, he loathed the silence because that meant that he would think, he would remember and he really did NOT want to remember that time three years ago when Kase had set her on fire just like he had did to Ken. He had somehow managed to get out of the warehouse and put out the fire that threatened to consume him, but she had not been so lucky. By the time Ken got to and managed to pull her out of the burning house she was too badly burned. Her skin was black from being burned and was falling off he could see the bones in her arms, legs, and worst of all her face which were also black from being burned.(1) Her body was falling apart in his hands, she had some how managed to smile at him and she then made him promise her something and then she had died in his arms.

/I'm so sorry I wasn't able to protect you, it should have been me that died not you! Gods the only promise that I kept was the one to take care of your violin./ Ken thought as he started to cry. /I'm sorry that I can't keep my other promise to you because how could anyone love me? I'm damaged and if anyone found out what I really am they would probably try to kill me. Who would love a monster? You were the only one who could love me for what I am because you were like me./

Ken silently cried for about an hour before he stopped and decided that it was time to get out of the tub. He vaguely wondered how long he had been in there this time. He pulled the stopper out and let the water drain, he laid there until all the water had drained. Ken stood up and wrung his clothes out as best as he could with out taking them off then he got out and grabbed his socks and shoes and headed out.

Yohji had gone back down to the shop and told the silent redhead what had happened. He gave his usual 'hn' as acknowledgement that he had heard him. He was also wondering why Ken had not come back down yet. Aya decided to go check on Ken himself, he had been up there for over six hours and he never stayed up there for over an hour, something had to be wrong. Omi had come back from wherever it was that he had went earlier so Aya had asked him if he could stay and help Yohji in the shop while he went to go check on Ken, the young blond had agreed to stay in the shop. So the leader of Weiss headed up stairs to go see if the young brunette was alright.

Ken walked out of the bathroom and headed towards his room lost in his thoughts when he ran into something or rather someone. He was shocked that he had run into Aya, he just stood there staring at the sword wielder like he had sprouted another head for the second time that day. Aya had taken in the fact that the assassin's clothes were completely soaked which really made him curious. Why didn't he take his clothes off to take a bath? He arched a delicate eyebrow in question.

"Excuse me but I need to change my clothes." Ken said as he tried to go around the violet eyed man but was stopped when he stepped in the way.

"What?" He did not want to deal with anything right now, he just wanted to get back to his room turn on his stereo and not think about anything.

Aya looked at him for a minute longer before finally asking. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"There has to be _something_ wrong, you were in the bathroom for over six hours." He stated staring at Ken like the answer would suddenly appear on his forehead in bright flashing lights.

"I just got to hot, okay?"

"What does that have to do with you being in there for six hours?"

"I don't like being hot. I didn't mean to stay in there so long it just kinda happened. So can I go change my clothes now?"

He stared at the bugnuk wielder for a few moments before finally stepping to the side to allow him to get to his room. When Ken got halfway to his door Aya spoke up.

"You know you can come to any of us if you need help."

Ken stopped walking and turned slightly so he could see Aya from the corner of his eye but not giving him the full side profile of his face and stood there for a minute.

"You couldn't understand." Ken answered so softly that Aya almost didn't hear it and continued to his room.

/What did he mean that I couldn't understand?/ Aya wondered as he stared at Ken's door.

The tall man was worried with what he just heard there was defiantly something wrong with the younger man. He wanted to help him but he didn't know how, if Aya-chan was there she would know what to do but she was still in a coma. Out of the three other assassins Aya liked Ken the most because he was always cheerful nothing dampened his spirits or so he had thought. But that wasn't the only reason Aya liked him better, he could sense that Ken was different somehow like he was but not sure _how_ he was different. He sighed and headed back down stairs as much as he wanted to help Ken he couldn't do _anything_ if Ken would not let him.

As soon as Ken was in his room and locked the door he began to strip throwing his clothes in the hamper. He looked down at the scars that marred his body and traced them lightly with his hands. They were a reminder of betrayal and of what he had lost. He didn't think that he could ever trust anyone again for fear of them betraying him like Kase had and he really didn't think that he could love anyone because if he did find someone to love and they found out what he was, well they would either try to kill him or they would run away and he didn't think he would be able to handle that. He also did not trust himself, he was afraid that he would try to kill them when he went into one of his 'attacks'. After she had died it was becoming harder and harder to calm down after an 'attack'.

The soccer player snapped out of his trance of tracing his scars and walked over to his dresser to grab another pair of boxers and put them on. When he had pulled on his boxers, he reached to turn on his stereo which was sitting on top of his dresser. He turned it to the station that played classical music it had always helped him calm down especially if it was a violin. She had played the violin. She always knew when he needed to calm down so she would play her violin to calm him down, most of the time it had put him to sleep. But she was dead now and he had no one to play the violin for him. He missed her so much, when she had died a part of him died with her, there was a void in his heart that would never fully go away. She was his other half.

Ken walked over to his bed and laid down he stared at the ceiling for what seemed like forever. He rolled over on to his side and he look at his wall and sighed. It was littered with claw marks from when he got little 'attacks'. He had warned the others about coming in his room they agreed and not asked remembering the threat that he gave them about not working in the afternoons. He did not want them to see the claw marks on the wall because that would raise questions. He rolled over on his stomach sighing again, there were too many things that he had to hide from his teammates. He felt bad that he had to hide things from them. He didn't have to keep the fact that he was betrayed and almost burned alive and that Kase had killed the most important person to him a secret he just didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want or need their pity and hear 'That's horrible.' And 'I'm so sorry Ken.' That he was sure to get from Omi and Yohji and he wasn't really sure what kind of reaction he would get from Aya.

What the former goalie was sure of is the reactions he would receive if he ever told the others what he really was. He was sure that the two blonds would look at him in horror and never want to see him again and Aya well, he was absolutely positive that the taller man would kill him. Ken eventually fell into a restless but dreamless sleep.

As soon as Aya got back down to the shop Omi and Yohji practically pounced on him demanding to know if Ken was alright. He had told them what the soccer player had said as to why he was in the bathroom for so long. The blond assassins gave him a look that said 'you've got to be kidding.'

"So let me get this straight, he said that the reason why I almost got shoved through the wall was because he was hot?" The older man asked.

"That's what he told me."

"Maybe that's why he refused to work in the afternoons during spring and summer." The younger assassin said.

"Yeah well no one else likes to be hot, so why is he so special?"

"Yes, but no one else freaks out when they see a fire or gets hot like he does." The blue eyed assassin stated.

"That's true, but why does he freak out like that?"

"I don't know. Maybe he had a bad experience with a fire?" The little blond said not sure as to why their friend freaks out about a simple fire in the fireplace during winter.

The assassins grew quite doing their various tasks in the shop as they all became lost in their own thoughts as to why Ken hated to be hot so much that he would spend over six hours in the bathroom.

Ken woke up to someone knocking on his door he sensed that it was Omi on the other side of the door. He sighed and got up to find out what he wanted, he hoped that he wasn't sent up there to see if he was alright. The assassin known as Siberian grabbed a shirt and pulled it on he walked over to the door and cracked it slightly so he could see the younger assassin but not so he could see the claw marks on the walls.

"Yes Omi-kun?"

"Ken-kun, I'm not disturbing you, am I?"

"No you're not. Do you want something?" He said giving Omi a reassuring smile.

"Good, I just came to tell you that dinner is ready." The little blond said returning the smile.

"Aa. Thank you Omi-kun but I'm not hungry."

"Oh, okay. I save you some leftovers in case you get hungry later."

"Thank you." He said grateful that Omi had not come up there to ask him if he was okay. He was sure that if one more person asked him that, he would snap and rip their throat out and then rip an arm off so he could chew on it for awhile.

"You're welcome Ken-kun." The blue eyed boy said and turned and walked away.

After Ken had closed and locked his door he walked over to his stereo and turned it to some other station. The soccer player laid down on his bed with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling. He was half listening to the radio when a song suddenly caught his attention. When he finally realize why the song had caught his attention his eyes widened in shock, it was one of her favorite songs she had always said described them.

A/N: I've never seen anyone burned so I was just guessing. I thought it would be more traumatic for him.

Mist: I don't think the readers will be to happy with that.

Keeper: Why not?

Mist: They want to know who that girl is.

Keeper: Oh well the next chap will be a little more informative.

Mist: Right. Why don't you thank the reviewers.

Raven's Light: Welcome to the family! I hope you'll enjoy this.

HeatherR: No he's not, he was just so hot that he felt like he would. You would think that he would catch it but he's not. I didn't know you could catch it in summer, huh learn something new everyday. But you gave me an idea so I'm going to work it in somehow.

Carrothien: I accidentally spelled your name wrong in the last chap but I fixed it! Sorry don't hate me! Thank you I put a lot of effort into that because it's important to the story.

Anendee: Hope you enjoyed this chap as well. Hehe if you liked that threat just wait he'll have more. Did you catch the one in this chap? Yeah Yohji is going to be a little bit of an ass to Kenken till he finds out his secret.

M4r1-ch4n: You were all over the new chap weren't you? I agree, I know if I was burned I would be traumatized, but honestly I wasn't even thinking about that when I wrote it but I'm really happy I made it seem realistic. You're not going to leave after the Schu/Ken action are you?

Stephy-chan and Jeny-chan: Again thank you for listening to this from over two thousand miles away. Sorry I didn't put the little spoof in.

Purdy-Puppy: Kou yelled at me cause you couldn't spell his name but I told him that it wasn't an easy name for people to spell if they don't know it.

Mist: You should give the reviewers a plushie.

Keeper: Good idea I know just the one to give them. (walks into closet)

Mist: It's not one of me is it?

Keeper: (comes back out) No it's a Ran/Ken/Schuldig set. With Ran dressed as Santa and Ken and Schuldig as reindeers.

Mist: That's cute. Well I hope you liked this chapter and please review and make my Keeper happy.

Keeper: YES please do! I thrive off of them.


	4. Memory

**Time to Burn**

Mist: My Keeper is sorry she didn't update sooner but she had to study for a VERY important test and if she didn't pass she'll have to see the commander.

Keeper: I've been praying to Nightshade and Nightmaresbane that I passed. I think I have an ulcer now from stressing about it and I'll find out tomorrow what I got.

Mist: I'm sure you passed.

Keeper: I hope so. Well I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year. I didn't get to go home for Christmas for the second year in a row and I won't be able to go this year either cause I'll most likely be deployed. Projected home for Christmas 2006. (sigh)

Kou: That's what you get for joining the Military.

Keeper: Yeah I know. Well in this chap Ken-sama is remembering as he listens to the song he hears on the radio. Au, bad language, yaoi so if you don't like it there is the back button, make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out.

Kou: I guess I can be nice this once since you're stressed out. Keeper does NOT own any of the characters except for 'her'.

_**No sleep  
No sleep until I am done with finding the answer  
Won't stop  
Won't stop before I find a cure for this cancer**_

_"Come on you slow poke!" A girl about fourteen with brown eyes and long brown hair in a braid that almost reached her knees yelled as she ran into the woods._

"_She acts like she's five years old still." Ken said with a sigh as he ran after her._

_He was running in the direction that she had, he knew where she was going. She was going to the lake that was in the middle of the woods, they always went there. He was so focused on running that he didn't even see her coming and the next thing he knew he was looking at the sky through the tree branches._

"_You're it!" The girl said laughing at the sprawled out Ken._

_He gave her one of his best glares but that only made her laugh harder, he should have known that it wouldn't work on her. She had become immune to them._

**_Sometimes  
I feel I am going down and so disconnected  
Somehow  
I know that I am haunted to be wanted_**

_He stood up and she stopped laughing and looked at him for a second._

"_The sakura tree is base." And with that she turned and ran heading for the tree by the lake that she had designated as base._

_Ken grinned he was sure he would be able to catch her, he had always been faster than her but she would sometimes out smart him. She would joke that she was the brains and he was the brawns. He hoped that she had just went straight for the tree instead of coming up with something that would leave a bruise the next day, the last time she came up with something to slow him down he had slammed face first into a tree._

**_I've been watching  
I've been waiting  
In the shadows for my time_**

_When the soccer player got to the sakura tree he didn't see her anywhere but he knew that she was there, he could smell her. He slowly approached the tree looking around to make sure that she didn't tackle him from out of nowhere like she did a minute ago. He made it to the tree safely and circled it once._

_/Where did she go?/ He thought and then he heard something above him._

_**I've been searching  
I've been living  
For tomorrows all my life**_

_The brunette looked up just as something slammed into him knocking to the ground again. He looked down to see her grinning madly at him. Well that explains why he didn't see her, she was in the tree waiting for him to come stand under it so she could pounce on him._

"_You know my antai you're getting to big to jump on me." Ken said as he gently pushed her off, stood up and offered her a hand._

"_Yeah, I wouldn't want to kill you by jumping on you." She said sarcastically as she grabbed his hand._

_**In the shadows**_

"_What are we doing today?" The girl asked her companion. _

"_Nothing." He replied as he walked over to the lake._

"_When you say nothing you mean we're just going to sit and stare at the clouds?" _

"_Exactly. Do you have a problem with that?"_

"_But I wanted to see you in blood, my kanashimi." She said pouting. "You are most beautiful when you are covered in blood."_

""_You are a weird one, my antai." He said smiling at her._

"_But you love me anyways." She said returning his smile._

"_So you think."_

"_Oh that's just mean and wrong." She pouted as Ken laughed at her._

_**They say  
That I must learn to kill before I can feel safe  
But I  
I rather kill myself then turn into their slave  
**_

_They walked over and laid down under the sakura tree. Ken put his arms behind his head and she curled up next to him with her head resting on his chest, one hand clutching his shirt and her legs wrapped around one of his. They stayed like that for awhile just taking comfort in each others company and listening to the birds sing. _

_/This is nice. I wish we could stay like this forever, just me and my antai with no one to bother us, beat us, or hate us for what we are./_

_**Sometimes  
I feel that I should go and play with the thunder  
Somehow  
I just don't wanna stay and wait for a wonder**_

"_Ne, kanashimi." The brown eyed girl said breaking the silence._

"_Nani?"_

"_You know the song In the Shadows right?"_

"_Yeah, what about it?"_

"_It suits us don't you think kanashimi?" She asked lifting her head to look at him._

"_What do you mean?" He asked opening an eye to look at his antai._

"_Well it talks about waiting in shadows and living for tomorrow." She replied looking a little depressed. "If you think about it that's what we are doing."_

"_How do you figure, antai?" _

"_Well, we're waiting in shadows and living for a tomorrow because of what we are and when people will be able to accept us."_

**_I've been watching  
I've been waiting  
In the shadows for my time _**

_Ken didn't know how to respond to that so he didn't. The brunette knew that what his antai wanted more than anything in the world was for them to be accepted by people, and not shunned, hated, feared, or hunted by anyone. But the goalie knew that no one would accept them because people were to narrow minded and anything that was different they feared and had a tendency to kill it._

"_Do you think that we'll ever be accepted?"_

**_I've been searching  
I've been living  
For tomorrows all my life_**

_Ken was quite for a minute and thought the question over as he started to stroke her hair like he would pet a cat. Did he think that people could get over their fear and hatred to accept them for who they were? No they couldn't._

"_I don't think so, my antai."_

"_Why don't you think so? Not everyone will hate us for what we are." She said sitting up and placing one hand on the other side of him so she could lean over him._

"_That's true not everyone will hate us but not enough for us to be safe." He replied still petting her._

"_Why do you always have to look at the glass like it's half empty? Why can't you look at it like it's half full?"_

"_Because that's how the world is and there is nothing we can do about it. Just like there will be no one to love us for who we are."_

_She looked at him for a moment before saying "You're wrong, there _is_ someone out there for us and they _will_ love us for what we are."_

**_Lately I been walking, walking in circles, watching waiting for something  
Feel me, touch me, heal me, come take me higher_**

"_I'm sure there is someone that will love us but as soon as they find out our secret they will either leave or try to kill us. I'm sure that they would try to kill us rather than just leave." He said pulling her down into a hug._

"_I don't believe that, I believe there is a soul mate out there for us, someone who won't leave and will love us no matter what."_

"_Maybe there is, who knows? I don't want you to get your hopes up, I don't want to see you hurt. Regardless if there is or isn't someone who will accept us, we'll still have each other."_

**_I've been watching  
I've been waiting  
In the shadows all my time_**

"_Yes, no matter what we will always have each other and nothing will _ever_ separate us because I'm your other half and you are mine. We'll always be together." She said snuggling closer to the soccer player._

_They laid like that for sometime both lost in their own thoughts. Ken was almost asleep when his antai couldn't stand the silence anymore and broke it._

_**I've been searching  
I've been living  
For tomorrows all my life**_

"_Play for me kanashimi." She said from against his chest._

"_You couldn't just let me go to sleep could you?" He said laughing softly._

"_Why should you get to go to sleep if I can't? So go get your guitar and play!"_

"_So demanding. Alright, alright get off so I can get it."_

"_Yay! You're the best kanashimi!" The brunette girl exclaimed as she quickly stood up and pulled Ken with her and shoved him in the direction of his guitar._

_**I've been watching  
I've been waiting  
I've been searching  
I've been living for tomorrows**_

_Ken walked over to an old hollow tree that he kept his guitar in for when they came out here to get away from everything. The brown eyed boy came back and sat down leaning against the sakura tree. His antai came to sit down next to him._

"_What do you want me to play?"_

"_I don't care."_

_Ken thought for a second and when he decided what to play he began. His companion leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. The sound of the guitar was soothing. So many things in life were uncertain but one thing she could always count was that her kanashimi would always be there for her and he would play his guitar for her when she was stressed out or upset and needed to calm down. And when he was stressed or upset she would do the same for him but instead of playing a guitar her instrument was a violin. When Ken finished playing she turned her head slightly to look at him._

"_Promise me that you will always play for me no matter what."_

_/Where the hell did that came from?/ Ken thought surprised by her statement. "You know I will always play for you."_

"_Promise me Ken."_

"_I promise I will always play for you."_

"_Good." Happy with his promise she closed her eyes again and fell asleep not soon after._

_**In the shadows**_

_**In the shadows  
I've been waiting**_

"I'm so sorry antai." He said softly crying. "I haven't kept any of my promises to you."

Ken stopped crying and wiped his face with his hands. He looked at his clock to see what time it was and saw that it was going on ten. The former goalie got up and rummaged around in his dresser and found some clothes to pull on. When he was dressed he grabbed a soccer ball and headed out he needed to get some air and to stop thinking. Kicking a soccer ball around always took his mind off of any and everything. When Ken got to the living room Aya and Omi stopped what they were doing to look at him, Yohji was no where to be seen.

"Ken-kun are you feeling better?" The little blond asked him.

/Why do they always have to ask me if I'm alright? Oh yeah I'm not acting like my _cheerful_ self./ Ken thought bitterly. "Yes I am thank you."

Ken headed towards the door hoping to avoid any other questions that they will surely have that he didn't want to answer. Just when he was about to open the door the redhead decided to speak up.

"Where are you going Hidaka?"

The boy in question sighed he did not need Aya's permission to do anything, it really wasn't his business where he was going and he did not want to answer but he turned around with his smile plastered on his face.

"Out."

"At ten at night?" The violet eyed man asked raising an eyebrow.

"I need to get some air." He simply stated.

"Well, be careful Ken-kun."

"You know me."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Omi replied laughing.

"Oh that one hurt Omi-kun." Ken said laughing and heading out the door before they could ask anymore questions.

Ken so caught up in his thoughts that he was trying not to think did not realize that there were two pairs of eyes following him as he made his way to the soccer field. When he got there he let the ball drop from his hands and looked up at the stars. That was another thing that she loved, she would always drag him out to look at the stars with her. It used to irritate him to no end when she did that but now he would give anything to have her back and drag him outside to stargaze.

/The stars are beautiful tonight antai. Can you see them from where you are?/

Ken tore his gaze away from the stars and looked at the ball he brought with him. The assassin known as Siberian kicked the ball up with his foot and started to bounce on his knees back and forth. When he got tired of that he let it fall to the ground and began to kick it up and down the field. Ken ran up and down the field for almost an hour before he finally realized that there were two people watching him. He looked in the direction that he sensed the people were but couldn't see anything not because it was dark out he had excellent night vision in the dark, he could see in the dark as well as he could see in the light, the reason he couldn't see was because of the trees.

"Who's there?" He called out wondering who it could be and before they could show themselves a small breeze brought their sent to him and he knew who it was.

"Well, well it looks we have a lost kitten." A man with flame colored hair said.

"I want to pet." His companion with white hair and an eye patch said.

"Schuldig, Farfarello."

Keeper: Yay Schuldig-sama!!!

Mist: You know the reads are not going to be happy you didn't clear anything up.

Keeper: Uh yeah. Well I seemed to have accidentally lost some readers along the way. I'll come back two miles to pick up the lost ones. Ken-sama's 'attacks' are kinda like a panic attack when he gets too hot and also has something to do with what he is but I can't tell you that, it will be reviled in the next chap. The girl is very important to Kenken, what they call each other are little nicknames for each other. She will be appearing in later chapters. Sorry I can't tell you anything else about her.

Mist: Thank the reviewers.

Raven: Yay, you came back! Poor Kenken will get better in time and after a lot of drama.

Carrothien: MWAHAHAHA! I'm a drug you can't get enough of. . . uh I mean I'm glad you like my story. I wanna give Kenken a hug too I don't like seeing him in pain although this story might argue with me.

Evelyn: Sorry I didn't do it on purpose! All will be revealed in time, I hope you continue to read this.

HeatherR: You're too smart. As far as I know you are the only one to guess what he is. All I can say for now is you're half right and REALLY close with your first guess and yes music clams him. The next chap will tell all! Well almost all.

Stephy-chan and Jeny-chan: Again thanks for listening to this from over two thousand miles away and giving me little ideas.

Keeper: (goes into closet) I have a Ran/Ken/Schuldig set in tuxedos with champagne bottles for my lovely reviewers.

Kou: I hope you liked this chapter please review it would make Keeper feel better.

Keeper: I need some pepto. (goes to medicine cabinet and dinks the whole bottle) If this story isn't updated within the month that means my supervisor killed me very painfully.

Mist: (rubbing Keeper's back) Pleasereview to cheer my Keeper up.


	5. Secret revealed

**Time to Burn**

Mist: Sorry it took my Keeper so long to update she was busy.

Keeper: Yeah we had an exercise and I got to be on the news even though it was for 5 seconds. Then I had to qualify on the M-16. I so happy I passed my test, now I just have to get through another one. I found out one of my good reviewers got a flame a while ago it made me soo mad because she warned that it was a yaoi and they still read it and left a flame that was uncalled for. Some people are just so idiotic, if you don't like something _why _are you going to _read _it?

Kou: The stupidity of people never cease to amaze me.

Mist: This is AU, bad language, and a yaoi. So as my Keeper would say 'If you don't like it, there is the back button, make sure it hits you on the way out.'

Kou: And Keeper doesn't own anything except for 'her' so you would be wasting your time suing her.

Keeper: Yeah all you would get is two blousing straps.

OoOoOoO

Ken backed up slowly about to make a run for it. He did not want to deal with Mastermind and Berserker right now. He seemed to not want to deal with a lot of things lately. First Aya with all of his questions, Yohji asking him if he was alright, all the stupid girls that fawned over him, and the heat.

He was turning around to run when Schuldig stopped him.

"Wait we just want to talk."

Ken stopped and looked at the telepath suspiciously. Ken believed him about as far as he could throw him well about as far as he could throw a twenty story building and lets face it he could throw Schuldig pretty far but he couldn't pick up the building so that tells you that he didn't even believe him. The taller man picked up on a little of what the soccer player was thinking and smirked.

"I swear that we want to talk, not as Schwartz and Weiss but as Ken, Schuldig, and Farfarello. No going at each others throats."

The brunette sensing that he was telling the truth slowly crept forward it never hurts to be cautious.

"Why would you want to just talk to me? I don't have anything to say to you."

"That's where you're wrong. I've been picking up little bits of your thoughts here and there all day." Schuldig said looking at Ken a little confused.

"Well maybe if you weren't hanging around the shop you wouldn't be picking up on them."

"I wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"I was picking up on you all the way across town. And I usually don't pick up on someone from all the way across town."

"Nani? But why were you. . ." Ken said now completely confused. He knew that telepath was telling the truth but why was he picking up his thoughts if he usually didn't pick up thoughts from across town?

"I think it's because you were so upset about something and I would like to know what it is."

"Well can't you just read my mind to find out?" He didn't like the idea of the redhead going through his mind but saying it out loud would be so much worse.

"I already tried that and I couldn't."

"What do you mean you couldn't?" Ken asked not sure if he heard right.

Schuldig shrugged his shoulders and simply stated like it should have been obvious. "I can't read your mind like everyone else's. So are you going to tell us what's wrong?"

"It's nothing that you should worry about." Ken said looking at the ground.

"Why is the cat so unhappy?" The other man asked finally deciding to talk.

"Yes, why is the _cat_ so unhappy?" Schuldig said looking at him accusingly. "But what I want to know is _why_ does he call you that?"

Ken's head snapped up at what they had asked. Farfarello couldn't know his secret. Could he?

"I. . . I don't know why he calls me that."

"Now, now no need to lie to us. What is this 'secret' that Farfie couldn't know?"

"But I thought that you said that you couldn't read my mind."

"I _never_ said that I couldn't, I just said that I couldn't read your mind like everyone else's." He said smiling.

"I don't understand what you mean."

The German sighed. "For some reason I can only get bits and pieces from you, a word here and there that barely makes any sense most of the time."

"Tell us what's wrong, cat."

Ken looked at the white haired man for a minute before finally asking. "Why do you keep calling me cat?"

Farfarello looked at him like he just asked a stupid question, like he had asked what color his hair was. "Because you are."

"What gave you that idea?"

"Because my eye shows me your true form." He said becoming serious and pointing at his eye that was covered with the patch.

Before Ken could get a question out the golden eyed man walked over and pulled him against his chest, the brunette was about to pull away but Farfarello started to pet him. Ken immediately stopped it felt so nice to be petted, he had forgotten what it felt like, after his antai died he didn't have anyone to pet him. He missed this feeling of contentment his eyes closed and he unconsciously began to purr. He felt another hand start to scratch him behind his ear and he tilled his head to allow the hand better access. Between the petting and the scratching behind his ear it was too much he purred as loud as he was able. The purr rumbled through the man holding him and the other man could almost feel it from where he was standing next to the purring man.

"He purrs. So that's why you call him cat." Schuldig said laughing softly.

Ken's eyes snapped open. What the hell was he thinking to let them get so close to him? He pulled quickly away from the scarred man. The brown eyed youth suddenly remembered what Farfarello said just before he started petting him.

"How can your eye show you my true form?"

"Didn't you ever wonder why I wear this?"

"Yeah, but I thought it was because you lost your eye."

"No, I have both my eyes." The older man replied laughing.

"Then why do you were that then?" Ken asked not understanding why he would wear the patch if he had both of his eyes.

"This is the reason why." He said reaching up and taking off the patch.

Ken gasped he couldn't believe what he was seeing. He took a couple steps closer to the scarred man to get a better look at his eye to make sure that he wasn't seeing wrong. No he wasn't seeing wrong, the eye that Berserker kept covered was all black. There was no other color, it was like someone had taken his eye out and dipped it in black paint.

"My eye allows me to see a person's true form, that's how I knew that you were a cat. It can't show me what type of cat though, it just shows me the form." He said staring at Ken with his pitch black eye.

"So what type of cat are you Ken?" The telepath asked looking inquisitively at him.

The former goalie sighed. /Well I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell them since they know that I'm some type of cat./ Ken looked at Farfarello then to Schuldig. "I'm a tiger."

"Weretiger." Farfarello stated.

"No."

"Was?(1) But you just said that you were." Schuldig asked a little confused.

"I _never_ said that I was a weretiger." The youth stated crossing his arms.

"Then how do you have a cat form?" The Irish man asked.

"I was born this way, I am a _true_ shapeshifter. I'm not ruled by the moon like a were is."

"So you don't have to change during a full moon if you don't want to?"

"Nope."

"That's interesting, could you show us your tiger form?"

"No." Ken stated glaring at the redhead.

"Why not are you afraid that we'll attack you when you're changing?"

"It's not that." He answered looking away.

"Then what is it?" Farfarello asked.

"It's none of your business." And with that Ken turned and ran.

"Hmm. . . I caught something about antai, burned alive, died, and not changing."

"That could be why he seems to have fire surrounding him."

/I wonder what it would be like to be with a shapeshifter? I bet they would make a very sensual lovers/ The telepath thought grinning to himself.

OoOoOoO

Ken ran home cursing the two members of Schwartz all the way. That was wonderful the enemy knew his secret, well maybe if he was lucky they wouldn't bother him as much. Either that or want to make a rug out of him. When Ken got to the Koneko he opened the door quietly so he wouldn't wake the others. He climbed the stairs and started to make his way to his room as he walked past the living room he glanced at the clock and noticed that it was going on twelve thirty. He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and a shirt he grabbed the towel he used last night and headed to the bathroom.

"This is getting fucking ridiculous." He growled as he stripped and got into the shower.

Ken looked at his scars and started to trace them. They went from his chest, around his back, to the tops of his thighs. He couldn't understand how his legs weren't scared like his chest was, he could still wear shorts if he wanted to. Just like he could still wear a short sleeve shirt. For the life of him he couldn't figure out why his _whole_ body wasn't burned, he was completely covered in gas and set on fire so why wasn't the rest of his body burned?

Ken finished his shower and got out. After he dried off and got dressed he headed to his room. When he got in his room he threw his clothes in the hamper, his stomach decided to let him know that is was hungry. Ken headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"I'm glad Omi saved some leftover's for me." Ken mumbled as he pulled out a plate. As he was putting the plate in the microwave he noticed that it was almost four. "Man I really need to stop staying in the shower for so long."

"Yes you do."

Ken spun around hearing the soft voice behind him to see Aya standing in the doorway in just his boxers with his arms crossed.

"Aya what are you doing up?"

"Omi was worried that something might happen to you. I told him that I would wait up for you so he would go to bed since he has to open in the morning." Aya said coming in to sit at the table.

Ken snorted. "Omi worries too much. I can take care of myself."

The microwave beeped letting Ken know his food was done. He pulled the plate out and sat down at the table across from Aya and began to eat.

"So Ken, why do you spend so much time in the shower?" The redhead asked looking intently at the brunette.

"I don't like being hot." The tiger replied not looking at him.

"I gathered that much. Care to tell me why you hate being hot, why you freak out when you see a fire, and why you never go in the living room when there is a fire in the fireplace?"

"I had a bad experience with fire a while back." Ken stated getting up and walking to the sink.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd really rather not say." The shapeshifter replied putting the plate in the sink.

"Why is that? How bad could it have been?"

"Worse than you could ever know." Ken whispered and then turned around to face the older man. "Look we all have secrets, something that we can't share with anyone else that we have to take to our grave without ever being able to share not even with the one person that you love the most."

"Aa yes, secrets that can't ever be shared. I understand." Aya said looking thoughtful.

"Well if you understand could tell the others to lay off? They'll ask questions that I really don't want to answer." Ken said walking to the doorway. "Well I'm going to go get at least a couple hours of sleep since I open with Omi."

/What secrets are you hiding Ken/ Aya thought as he watched Ken leave.

OoOoOoO

Ken was able to sleep those couple of hours but was late getting down to the shop to open because he kept hitting the snooze button for half an hour. Omi had gotten worried that something was wrong with the soccer player so he went up to see why he hadn't come down yet.

Omi really didn't want to wake him up, he had a tendency to get violent when someone wakes him up for whatever reason and it only got worse in the spring and summer. He had strangled Yohji once and would have killed him if Aya had not been walking by and managed to calm Ken down. Omi was just about to knock when the door opened.

"Good you're awake Ken-kun." Omi said looking relived now that he didn't have to wake the older assassin up.

"Heh, sorry Omi-kun I over slept." Ken said grinning a little as he came out of his room and shutting the door.

"Are you alright? I know you're not a morning person, but you never oversleep when you have the morning shift."

Ken sighed, again with the 'are you alright' questions and first thing in the morning at that. He hoped that the day would not be like yesterday.

"Well we better get down to the shop ne, Omi-kun." The brunette said as he started to head down the hallway.

"Hai." Omi replied as he followed Ken.

The day was more or less uneventful, which Ken was grateful for. Yohji had overslept as well and Ken not wanting to stay in the stuffy shop any longer than necessary went up to Yohji's room, grabbed him by his leg and literally dragged him off his bed and half away across his room and told him that if he didn't get up right then and get down to the shop he was going to rip one of his arms off and shove it down his throat. Yohji never got dressed so fast in his life and ran to the shop. Ken had went straight for the bathroom after he got Yohji up. This time the shapeshifter only spent an hour in the shower after that he went to his room and went to sleep.

OoOoOoO

1. It's supposed to be German for what. If it's wrong blame it on the translation web site I found it on.

Keeper: I should have said this in the last chapter but I was stressing and I forgot but Anti means peace, security, tranquility. Kanashimi means sadness, grief, sorrow. Someone asked me why they called each other that well Ken calls her anti because she calms him down when he gets mad (you know his short temper) and well he fells calm around her. She calls him kanashimi because he doesn't think that anyone will except them or find any one to love, so it depresses him. And because they are afraid of being caught they don't change much so that stresses them out so they calm each other by playing their instruments for each other. Ken plays the guitar and she plays the violin (for anyone who can play the violin I am sooo jealous)

Raven's Light: I'm glad you liked this chapter and thanks for staying with me. Good luck on your exams and I can't wait for you to update your Zoids story!

Carrothien: MWAHAHAHAHA! There is no cure for the Keeper drug! Uh. . . glad you liked this chap. Bet you didn't see that secret coming did you? As for the girl. . .

Invisible Fan: Heh. . . Uh sorry did this clear it up for you?

M4r1-ch4n: You Schu whore. I can't blame you, I'm one too. I missed you last chapter. I thought you abandoned me!

Anendee: I missed you too! I thought you abandoned me also!

HeatherR: Well one secret down a thousand more to go. So you think you know who the girl is? Shoot me an Email with your guess. Your probably right. Don't forget to leave a review too!

Evelyn: Did this answer most of your questions? Hope you continue to read!

Bhidaka, neko-chibi-faithkitty, Bao-chan, Rikuz bloody Valentine: Welcome to the family hope you continue to read and review!

Keeper: I have a Ran/Ken/Schu Valentine set holding little hearts that say 'I love you' for all my reviewers!

Mist: We hope you like this chapter and please review and make my Keeper happy

Keeper: Yes I thrive off them. Gets me to update faster.


	6. Deadly urges

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Sorry this took so long again. I got promoted last month! YAY! I had to shoot the M-16 again. Holy crap those things are so freaking loud and to top it off I got popped in the nose by the charging handle (glares at offending gun) Then my shop went up to Denver for training it was great except for the rabbit incident. (shudders) I'm traumatized now.

Bane: How the hell did you manage to get hit with the charging handle?

Shade: Yeah, and what was the rabbit incident?

Keeper: That's not important. In this chapter Ken gives in to his tiger instincts but does not turn into it he hasn't since before he was almost burned alive. This chapter is a little gory. Au, yaoi, bad language, and grammar mistakes cause I don't have a beta. So if you don't like it there is the back button and make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out.

Shade: Don't you need to do the disclaimer?

Keeper: No I refuse to do it.

Bane: I'll do it. Keeper does not own the boys, she only owns the characters that you don't recognize, so if you sued her you would be wasting your time because she can't even buy a twentyfive cent pencil.

Keeper: Why do you people have to be so mean about it when you do the disclaimer?

**OoOoOoO**

It had been a month since Ken had ran into Schuldig and Farfarello and told them that he was a shapeshifter. During the month he had become even more agitated than usual. He was spending more time in the bathroom, snapping at the others even more, and he was unable to sleep at night. His beast was becoming restless.

Ken was in the kitchen trying to find something to eat, he wanted a grilled cheese but that would mean he would have to get near the stove while it was on and he was not about to get near it. So he decided on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Ken had all the stuff ready to make his sandwich when Omi came.

"Ken-kun we have a mission."

"Thanks Omi-kun." Ken replied sighing, he didn't want peanut butter and jelly anyways.

They headed down the mission room where Aya, Yohji, and Manx were already waiting for them. Manx briefed them on their mission, their target was a drug lord called Mahon that mostly sold to teenagers. Aya told them that they would go out in an hour. Once they had the information they trooped back upstairs. Aya and Yohji went to their room, Omi went to the living room to watch TV, and Ken well he was still hungry and he really wanted grilled cheese, so he decided to ask Omi if he would make it for him.

"Omi-kun, are you busy right now?"

"No. Do you need something?" The little blond asked turning to look at him.

"Well, I was wondering if you would make a grilled cheese for me." The brunette said grinning sheepishly.

"Sure."

"Thank you, you're the greatest!"

They made their way to the kitchen. While he was grabbing everything needed he asked Omi if he wanted one as well and he said that he did. So he buttered enough bread for each of them to have two grilled cheese. Ken sat at the table watching the younger assassin cook and cursing himself that he had to get someone else to cook for him.

"I really appreciate this." Ken said as Omi put a plate in front of him.

"It's not a problem. I know you don't like being near anything hot." Omi replied sitting across from Ken with his plate.

"Yeah." Ken suddenly found his gilled cheese very interesting he had a feeling that Omi was going to ask why. And sure enough Omi asked him.

"Ken-kun why don't you like being hot?" Omi inquired over his grilled cheese.

He sighed and looked at the little blond and finally said "I don't want talk about it, but what I will tell you is that I had a bad experience with fire a while back."

"It must have been horrible if it makes you act they way you do."

"You couldn't even begin imagine how horrible it was." Ken answered looking down at his plate.

They finished their grilled cheese in silence, once they finished they headed up to their rooms to get ready for the mission.

**OoOoOoO**

"Bombay and Balinese you'll disable the security system."

"Hai." Both blonds replied.

"Siberian and I will take care of the guards and then the target."

"I'll take care of the guards you get the target."

Abyssinian looked at Siberian ready to argue that there were too many guards for him to handle alone but Siberian didn't give him the chance to say anything.

"It'll go quicker if we do it this way. Trust me I can handle them they won't be a problem and there's not that many of them."

Abyssinian studied him for a moment before finally nodding his head, he then turned to Bombay and Balinese and gave them the order to get started on the security system and the two took off. The older assassin kept an eye out to make sure no one snuck up on them while they waited for the system to be disabled.

"I don't think you should take on the guards by yourself." The redhead said suddenly causing the other to look at him.

"There are five guards, eight max. They won't be a problem I am more than capable of handling them myself."

Aya was about to ask Ken why he wanted to take the guards on by himself when Yohji's voice came through the ear piece they were wearing.

"Security is down."

"Copy that Balinese, we're going in."

"Be careful." Omi said but was met with silence as Ken and Aya made their way in.

"I'll distract them so you can get by."

Siberian ran off effectively distracting the guards as eight of them chased him. Abyssinian looked around to make sure it was safe when he saw that all of the guards were chasing the brunette, he proceeded to the target's office.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken grinned at the idiots chasing him they had no idea what they had got themselves into. His beast was begging to be let out to hunt, it had been so long since he had tasted warm flesh and blood. Three years to be exact. Ken turned a corner and ducked into a room and shut the door locking it so the men would think that he had not been able to get in there and pass it buy and when they did, he would have his fun picking them off one at a time.

Ken heard the guards come around the corner and listened to them as one of them swore and gave orders for them to split up. Two would check the rooms along the hall, three would go down the left corridor while the last three went down the right.

One of the guards tried the door for the room Ken was hiding in, finding it locked moved on. The shapeshifter waited a minute then cracked the door open. He looked out to see one of the guards going into a room and the other jiggling the handle on another locked door. Ken silently slipped out of the room and made his way to the man. The guard he was stalking stopped to check another door only to find this one locked as well. Ken took this moment to attack, he grabbed the man's arms from behind and sank his teeth into the back of his neck and ripped his spinal cord out almost ripping the head completely off, the man didn't even have a chance to scream.

"He's not in here either." The second guard said coming out. Not hearing a reply he turned to where his partner should have been and was greeted with the sight of his partner's head nearly ripped off and being held in the arms of a young brunette with blood on his face. The guard shook himself out of his shock and began to draw his gun, the young brunette dropped the body and rushed the man. Ken slammed the guard into the wall and knocking his gun out of his hand at the same time, he bared his fangs to the man. The tiger went straight for his throat. The guard's neck ended up similar to his partners except that it was the front and it was completely ripped out that you could see the spinal cord through his neck.

When the guard struggled for that brief second, when Ken felt his life slipping away, and the blood hot in his mouth, it had excited Ken. It had been three years since he had allowed himself to taste blood. And now that he had tasted it after so long he craved more. Ken let the body fall to the floor and turned to go stalk his next unsuspecting prey.

**OoOoOoO**

Aya cautiously made his way down the hallway to the targets office. He occasionally ran into a single guard along the way. He quickly disposed of them and continued on his way. But there was something in the back of his mind telling him something was wrong.

**OoOoOoO**

"W. . .what do you want?" A man named Mahon asked the two figures standing in the shadows of his office.

"Why Mahon-sama, we want your life." One of the figures said walking forward smiling.

"My life?"

"Yes, Toshiya-sama does not like it when people try to step in on his territory."

"I'll pay five times what he is paying for you to kill him instead." Mahon said standing up from his desk.

The figure that had not moved from the shadows started to laugh. "Stupid man, I don't think you have enough money for that."

"We are not so easily bought off by our targets."

A light mist began to cover the floor of the office and the shadows seemed to come alive and dance along the walls. Mahon's eyes widened in shock when he realized who he was talking to. "It can't be. You're them. You're. . ."

"A little slow on the uptake aren't you? Took you long enough to figure out who we are." The figure in the shadows said mockingly.

"You don't mind if I do the honors, do you?"

"Of course not have all the fun you want with him." The man standing in the shadows told his companion.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken had killed the three guards down the left corridor and now he was heading to the right corridor. He crept silently down the hall as he noticed the three guards going into separate rooms. The tiger slunk in to the closest room with a guard and shut the door silently and locked it. He stalked the unsuspecting man and before he could attack, the guard turned around suddenly.

"You." The guard said pulling out his gun.

Ken grinned at the man and ducked behind some crates that were in the room. He heard the man curse and run towards where he saw Ken disappear. The fool didn't call the others for backup, that mistake would cost him his life.

Ken had jumped on top of the crates so that he was well above the other man. Ken flattened himself against the crate just in case the guard looked up, but he knew that he would not look up because it never occurred to humans that something could attack them from above. Because it never occurred to them they never thought about it, so they were blind to the danger.

Ken watched as the man came around the corner look around and curse when he didn't see Ken anywhere. The guard started to look cautiously around the crates; he slowly made his way over to the set of crates that Ken was perched on top of. He pulled himself into a crouch as the guard came to stand directly underneath him. He looked around for a second and began walk again, when he had taken only three steps Ken jumped right on to his back. The force of the impact had knocked the breath out of the guard and also causing him to drop his gun.

Ken straddled the man pinning his arms to his side and regarded him for a brief second and then he sunk his teeth into the man's shoulder. The guard wanted to scream as he felt teeth sink into his flesh but was unable to because he had the breath knocked out of him. He struggled to get the youth off but found that he was stronger than he was.

When the guard finally regained his breath he sucked in a lung full of the precious air. He was getting ready to yell for help when the youth clamped his gloved hand over his mouth. Ken ripped a piece of flesh out, the guards screams muffled by his hand.

"There is a saying that goes if you miss the Tiger, he won't miss you." (1)The brunette said chuckling.

The guard panicked he couldn't get the boy off and he couldn't shout for help so he did the only thing he could think of. He bit the hand covering his mouth. Ken growled at the man that had the audacity to bite him but kept his hand firmly over his mouth.

"You are going to regret biting me." He growled out.

/What the hell is this guy? No one growls like that, he sounds like some kind of animal./

Ken used his free hand and ripped the man's shirt up the middle using his claws to reveal the man's back. He ran his fingers lightly down his back causing the man underneath him to shudder slightly.

"Such smooth and delicate skin."

/Oh gods is he going to rape me? This guy is psychotic/ The guard thought as he started to panic.

Ken could smell his fear radiating off of his body and it was intoxicating. He leaned forward held his nose just behind the guard's ear and breathed in the sent of fear. Ken laughed lightly as the guard began to panic even more when he had leaned forward. He had a pretty good guess as to why he was panicking.

"You think I'm going to rape you, don't you?" Ken whispered into his ear like he would to a lover.

The man beneath him nodded his head. Ken laughed and patted his head like he would a dog.

"Don't worry I'm not going to rape you." He said now petting the man. He smiled when the man under him relaxed somewhat and said. "But when I'm done with you, you are going to wish that I rapped you."

And with that Ken began ripping chunks out of the guards back and ate them much like a tiger would eat its prey. His screams of pain muffled by Ken's hand still clamped tightly over his mouth. Ken lost himself in the sent of fear and the warm taste of blood and flesh. He continued to rip pieces of his flesh out until he realized that the guard had passed out. Ken looked down at the man's back. His spine was starting to show in some places and he could make out a couple of ribs. He decided to put the man out of his misery seeing as he was no longer any 'fun'. He lifted the man's head up and sharply pulled it towards him. He had pulled so hard on the guards' neck that his face was now pointed towards him and lying on his back.

Ken stood up and began to make his way to the door and his next victim.

**OoOoOoO**

"W. . .why are you doing this?" Mahon asked as he backed as far away from the assassin as he could holding his right arm that had nearly been ripped off and now was only hanging on by a piece of skin and his other hand holding it in place. His left leg had been broken when the assassin had used his hands to smash it.

"I told you, Toshiya-sama does not like people trying to step in on his territory."

"Then why don't you just kill me and get it over with?"

"Now where would the fun in that be?" The assassin asked grinning maliciously.

Mahon could only stare in shock at the man standing in front of him. These two were very well known. He had heard stories about how they killed, they love to torture the target for as long as they remained conscious and then they killed them but on rare occasions they waited for the person to wake up so they could torture them some more.

The assassin slowly made his way to Mahon, who pushed himself into the wall like he was hoping it would swallow him to get him away from the assassin.

**OoOoOoO**

Aya was almost to the targets office when he heard a scream come from that direction. He wondered who was screaming and why. He quickened his pace some thinking that the target might make a run for it when he heard the scream. In the back of his mind he vaguely wondered if it was the target.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken had killed the second guard in much the same way as the first one and now he was stalking the last one. He decided that he would take his time and have his fun with this one since there was one left to help him.

When Ken had first attacked him he had bit both of his arms breaking them. He then let the guard go just so he could chase him and when he caught him the second time he had bitten the guards leg and ripped a piece of flesh out so that leg was useless now.

Ken was following not ten feet away from the limping man. The sent of fear and blood was practically begging him to attack and he did. He went for the guard's good leg and did the same thing to that leg as he did the other. The man could only stare helplessly at Ken as he stood over him.

The brunette kneeled next to the guard and grinned.

"There's something I want you do for me."

"What's that?" The man asked nervously.

"Scream for me." He said as he ripped one of the guard's arms completely off.

**OoOoOoO**

"I hate to ruin your fun but. . ." The assassin standing in the shadows tried to tell his companion but was cut off.

"Someone is coming, yes I know." He said looking up from the shoulder that he was tearing apart and eating. "I guess I have to cut this short, such a shame." Having said that he took one last bite out of Mahon's shoulder.

The assassin stood up after taking one last bite and walked over to his companion licking the blood off much like a cat would.

"I was hoping to have a little fun with this one." He said sighing.

His companion laughed. "I'll let you have the next one since your fun was cut short."

"How kind of you." He said giving his partner a half hearted glare.

"Only for you. Now let's go see who interrupted your fun." He replied smiling at his partner as the shadows seemed to dance around him as if they to, were eager to see who it was that interrupted the fun.

The other assassin nodded and went to stand beside his partner. As soon as he was standing next to him the shadows enveloped them.

**OoOoOoO**

Aya had finally made it to the office. As he slowly made his way to the door of the office he could tell something was wrong. He could sense that someone was dead. Was it the target? If it was who had killed him?

Aya stood to the side of the door incase someone was still in there and slowly opened the door. When he cautiously looked inside he first noticed that no one was in there and then he noticed the blood on the floor leading to one side of the room. His gaze followed the blood until it came to a stop at a body. He walked in slowly glancing around to make sure no one would jump out of nowhere at him. He made his way to the body only to be greeted by something he would not even see in his nightmares. The body had both arms and legs practically ripped from the sockets and it looked as if an animal had been eating the shoulder and stomach and the throat was ripped out. When he finally got to the face of the person he realized that it was the target he was after. But who or what had killed him? When Aya was leaving the room he called Siberian.

"Siberian, pull out and meet up with Bombay and Balinese."

After a minute when Siberian didn't reply he began to worry and was about to try again when Siberian's voice came on the set acknowledging that he heard and was on his way out. As he was walking down the hallway he never realized that the shadows were watching him.

"So he has a partner. Shall we follow him to find out who it is?"

"Of course."

The two assassins hidden in the shadows followed Abyssinian out to where he was to meet up with the rest of his team.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken was a little disappointed that he had to leave, he was enjoying himself. He looked down at the guard. He had pulled out both of his arms and had chewed on one of them just to see the look on his face and he was not disappointed. When the guard had seen him _eating_ one of _his_ arms he had started screaming for help and screaming at Ken that he was a sick bastard. When he had gotten done with chewing on the arm he had started at the legs and had more or less 'eaten' his way up the body. The guard surprisingly had not passed out from shock or blood loss by the time Ken had gotten to the guy's shoulders. This was when Aya had called him and told him to meet up with the others.

The guard's body was no longer recognizable as a human body it was just a bloody mess with a face. Ken sighed he really hated to leave this unfinished but had had to go, the others were waiting for him. As he looked down at the man he could see the fear in his eyes as he wondered what Ken was going to do next. He wanted to ask but his throat was sore from all the yelling so his voice no longer worked and he was also afraid of what the answer would be.

"I'm afraid I have to end this now." Ken said as he plunged one of his hands into the guard's chest and pulled out his heart.

The guard's eyes widened in shock when he saw what Ken was holding in his hand. It was his heart still beating but it was beginning to slowly stop. Ken laughed at him.

"I always wanted to try that to see if it was possible to remove someone's heart and show it to them before they died. Apparently it is possible."

The last thing the guard saw before he died was the person sitting on top of him start to eat his heart.

Ken got up and left still eating the heart and made his way out to join the others. He vaguely realized that he would have to explain how he became covered in blood.

**OoOoOoO**

Aya had made it back to the others before Ken and when he didn't see him there he got a little worried that something might have happened to him.

"Siberian isn't here yet?"

The two blonds shook their head no. Omi noticed that their leader was worried about something so he decided to ask.

"What's wrong Abyssinian?"

"I want to wait to talk about it until Siberian gets here."

"Where is he anyways, I heard you tell him to get out." Yohji said.

Aya just growled at Yohji. He was worried that Ken might have run into whatever it was that killed the target.

"Where the hell are you Siberian?" Aya said over the comlink.

"I'm right here."

Three heads turned to the sound of Ken's voice behind them and looked at him in shock. He must have gotten seriously injured because he was soaked in blood.

"Siberian what happened, are you hurt?" Bombay asked practically running to him.

Ken laughed and looked sheepish. "Heh. . .uh no I'm fine."

"Then why are you covered in blood?"

"Uh well you see. . .I uh slit someone's throat and then I had to dive for cover when someone shot at me and I landed in the blood." Ken replied hoping that they would buy his excuse.

Yohji and Omi seemed to buy his excuse but Aya was looking at him attentively like he was waiting for Ken to tell him the real reason why he was covered in blood.

"Whatever the reason why Siberian is covered in blood, we don't have time for that."

"What do you mean Abyssinian?" Ken asked him tilting his head to the side slightly.

"The target was already dead by the time I got there."

"What do you mean he was already dead?" All three practically yelled at him.

"We'll discus it when we get home." Having said that he turned to leave, the others following behind him.

No one realized that they were being watched by two pairs of eyes.

"So there are four of them."

"If my memory serves me right, I believe they are that group called Wiess."

"Ah, so they are Wiess."

"Yes. The brunette. . ." The assassin trailed off.

"What about him?"

"He's a shapeshifter, but there is something that is not right with him." He replied looking a little confused.

"What do you mean?"

"I am not sure but I will find out."

The two assassins disappeared into the shadows.

**OoOoOoO**

Everyone was gathered in the kitchen back at the Koneko waiting for Aya to explain.

"So what's this about the target being dead?" Yohji asked crossing his arms on the table.

"When I got to the office someone else had already got to him. You could barely tell it used to be human."

"What do you mean by that?" Yohji demanded from his spot at the table.

"The arms and legs were ripped out of the sockets only hanging on by a piece of skin and it looked like some animal had been eating it."

"What could do something like that?" Omi asked looking a little sick.

"I don't know."

/Only a shapeshifter could do something like that. I hope that we won't have to face who ever it was, the guys wouldn't stand a chance against a shapeshifter./

"Well there is nothing we can do tonight so we should just go to bed and get some sleep." Yohji said getting up.

"I agree with Yohji-kun we can try to figure this out tomorrow." Omi said getting up also.

Everyone headed to their rooms to get some sleep except for Ken who went to get a change of clothes so he could take a shower first.

**OoOoOoO**

"So I take it that fool Mahon is dead?" A man asked a large shadow on his office wall.

"Why the hell wouldn't he be?" One of the assassins spat out angrily.

"Be nice." The other assassin scolded his companion. "Of course he is Toshiya-sama."

"You guys work fast, I only asked you to kill him five hours ago." The man called Toshiya said laughing. "But how do I know that he is dead?"

"Well we are the best at what we do. After all it is in our nature to kill. And as to your question if he is dead or not just listen for the news of a mutilated man"

"Here is the rest of your payment. I put a bonus in there because you got the job done so fast." He said as he put a suitcase on the floor and then backed up a little ways from it.

He watched in wonder as a shadow snaked its way across the floor to the suitcase. When the shadow got to it, it enveloped the suitcase and it was gone.

"Thank you for your time we will be going now."

"If you don't mind, I might have some more jobs for you."

"Not at all. Goodnight Toshiya-sama."

Toshiya watched as the large shadow on his wall seemed to melt into the floor and disappear.

**OoOoOoO**

1. I found this on a web site that I can't remember when I was researching tigers to see how large they can get.

Keeper: Well Ken-sama sure was a little OOC, but hey he's a tiger a heart and it has been a while since he went hunting. Because he doesn't change it slowly started to make him I guess you could say unbalanced. He denies his tiger side and that's not healthy for him. It will be explained a little better later.

Shade: The readers are going to be made because of this.

Keeper: I know but to make up for it Schuldig-sama appears in the next chapter! And it is projected that in chapter 9 we FINALLY find out who the girl is. And my plan is to update the last Friday of every month. I know this is not the last Friday but it's been so long since I updated.

Shade: That's good maybe they won't kill you right away then. Thank the reviewers now.

M4r1-ch4n: Yes he does. Hehe so his secret was a kick in the kickers for you? I haven't seen any stories that have him as a shapeshifter. So I said 'Hey this is a good idea and I haven't seen anyone else do something like this.' Though the idea spawned from another fic that I'm working on. Traveling? Well I guess I can forgive you. I hope you had fun.

Anendee: I do have a planned couple, it's going to start as Schu/Ken then go to Ran/Ken. But I'll squeeze some Schu/Farf/Ken action for you! I happy that you think I can do no wrong that means a lot!

HeeroDuo4eva: Ah so that's how it is pronounced thanks! So I'm assuming you know German? I wish I did since I'm part German myself, but I don't. (hangs head in shame) The reason why he doesn't transform is projected for chapter 9.

KyraEnsui: Yes it does take time and I vaguely know where I want this to go. Some of the stuff that I had wanted to happen didn't because it didn't fit in there so it changed. (hits head on desk) But I'm happy with it and I'm glad you liked this enough to review after so long! I hope I can keep your interest.

HeatherR: Let's just say Schuldig-sama is going to have someone yelling at him to help Ken-sama. And Farfie is well… Farfie who knows what goes on in his head. The reason Why Ken-sama doesn't tell anyone is cause he doesn't want to receive any pity.

Kimpatsu no Hoseki: They try to help him well mostly Schuldig-sama. I'm not sure when but they will have a little fight.

Keeper: I would give out plushies but someone stole them. I think it was Kou just to make me mad. Awww man I just realized Mist isn't here to ask the readers to review.

Shade: I'll do it for him. Please leave a review so Keeper can know what she is doing wrong and fix it.


	7. Walk with me

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Hi everyone! It's the last Friday of the month so that means it's time for me to update.

Kou: I can't believe that you actually managed to do it.

Keeper: I'm going to pretend you weren't being mean. I realized that Easter is in March this year what's up with that! Well anyways Happy Easter! I just found out that I get to go to Germany!

Mist: Germany? That's a nice country.

Keeper: So I've heard. Anyways AU, bad language, yaoi (eventually), Fluff? And grammar mistakes, so if you don't like it there's the back button and make sure it hits you on the ass on the way out.

Mist: My Keeper does not nor will she ever own the Wiess characters, she does however own any non recognizable characters.

/"Means mental conversations."/

**OoOoOoO**

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Ken growled and pulled the covers over his head trying to block out the annoying beeping, but to no avail. He was cursing the annoying sound wondering what it was and then realized it was his alarm clock.

/Why in the hell did I turn that damn thing on! It's my day off./

Ken reached a hand out to shut the wretched sound up. His hand felt around the table for a minute looking for the clock. The hand stopped in mid-motion as he remembered that the clock was no longer on the table next to his bed. He had moved it yesterday to his dresser across his room so he would have to get out of bed to turn off his alarm.

He groaned as he threw the covers off and rolled out of bed to stumble across his room.

"It's too early to be up." Ken mumbled as he turned it off.

He looked at his clock after he turned it off to see what time it was and noticed that it was noon. He stood there for a minute staring confusedly at his clock.

/Why did I set my alarm for noon/

He stood there staring at his clock like he was waiting for it to hold up a sign telling him why he had set it for that time. After what seemed like hours of just staring Ken finally remembered why he had set his alarm.

/Oh yeah, I set it so I could go out and buy another soccer ball since I left my only one at the park when I ran into Schuldig and Farfarello./

Ken sighed as he rummaged around in his dresser for something to wear. When he was finished dressing he went to the kitchen to grab an apple and headed out the back.

Ken was shuffling down the sidewalk heading towards the sports store. He just finished eating the whole apple and he was now chewing on the stem.

/Damn I should still be sleeping, but no I have to go buy another soccer ball and it freaking hot outside. Damn me for leaving the stupid soccer ball, damn me for getting upset, damn these secrets, damn Schuldig, damn Farfarello. Damnit, damnit, damnit. . ./

"DAMNIT!"

Ken stopped walking when he noticed everyone was staring at him. He ducked his head down and started walking again.

/"You know, you really shouldn't yell out profanities like that."/ An amused voice said in his head.

/"What do you want, Schuldig?"/ Ken growled back at him mentally.

/"I'm hurt Tiger. I haven't seen you in a month so I decided to see how you were doing."/

/"Gee, nice to know that you care."/ Ken bit back sarcastically. /"Now leave me alone I'm busy."/

/"Doing what?"/ Schuldig asked sounding curious.

/"Not that it's any of your business, I have to go buy another soccer ball."/

/"Warum?"/(1)

/"I don't speak German, so I'm going to assume you asked 'why'."/

/"Ja."/

Ken growled. /"I'm buying a soccer ball because I left my only one at the park when I had ran into you and Farfarello. So I need another one."/

/"No you don't."/ Came the simple reply.

/"What do you mean?"/

/"When you left, I picked up your ball. I'll return it to you if you like."/

Ken thought for a moment before answering. /"Yes…That would be nice."/

/"Alright, I will return it to you later."/

/"Thank you."/

/"Don't mention it. And Ken?"/

/"What?"/

/"Will you take a walk with me?"/

/"Why?"/ He asked getting a little suspicious.

/"I want to ask you something."/

/"Why can't you just ask me now?"/

/"I would rather ask you in person. I promise no funny business. So will you take a walk with me?"/

/"How I'm I supposed to take a walk with you if I don't know where the hell you are?"/

/"Look behind you."/

Ken stopped walking and looked behind him and saw Schuldig leaning against a wall with his arms crossed and smiling. Schuldig pushed off the wall and sauntered over to Ken still smiling.

"Shall we go?"

"Where are we going?"

"Hmmm…" Schuldig thought for a moment. "We can go to the park. I know a little spot where we can talk and not be interrupted."

Ken nodded his head as he walked beside Schuldig. They walked in silence most of the way to the park until Ken's curiosity got the better of him.

"Why do you want to talk to me anyways?"

Schuldig kept walking like he had not heard him. Ken was about to ask him again when he spoke softly.

"Because I want to help you."

"Nani? Why would you want to help me? We're enemies and I don't need any help."

Schuldig looked at him and smiled not his usual sadistic smile but a sad one.

"You may not realize it, but you do need help. It doesn't matter if we are enemies or not, I still what to help you."

"Why?"

"Come on we're almost there." The telepath said walking onto the path in the park that led into a little wooded area.

Ken followed behind him grumbling under his breath about the older man being a jerk and why couldn't he just answer the question. Schuldig deviated off from the path and was walking into the small little woods that the park had. He finally stopped walking when he got to a rather old and large Oak tree. Schuldig walked over to it and sprawled out underneath it and rested his head on one of his arms. He looked over at Ken and grinned and patted the ground beside him.

"Well are you going to come sit down? I won't bite."

"No, but I might." The brunette said as he came over and sat next to the redhead.

Schuldig laughed. "You shouldn't tease me like that Tiger."

Ken glared at him. "You never answered my question. Why do you want to help me?"

"Because I know what it's like to be different. What it's like to have people fear and hate you for what you are."

Ken looked at the ground in front of him no longer able to meet the older man's eyes. He started to pull at the grass so he didn't have to look at Schuldig.

"Did you have a mission last night?" The redhead asked suddenly causing Ken to look at him.

"Yeah, why?"

"After we talked the first time for some reason I've been picking up on your thoughts even more. And last night I could hear your thoughts like you were talking to me."

"Oh. So does that mean you heard…everything?"

"Ja. They were interesting to say the least."

/"Ask him why he denies his true self."/ A feminine voice told Schuldig.

"Why do you deny your true self?"

"What do you mean?" Ken asked narrowing his eyes.

/"Ask him why he no longer changes."/

"Why don't you change into the tiger anymore?"

"That's really none of your business." Ken growled. "I need to go."

/"Don't let him leave!"/ The voice yelled at the telepath.

/"How am I supposed to stop him with out him ripping my arm off?"/

/"Pet him."/

/"Was?"/(2)

/"Just do it."/ The voice held no room for arguments.

Schuldig grabbed Ken's arm just as he was getting up and pulled Ken towards himself. Ken not expecting that ended up losing his balance and fell on top of Schuldig, who wrapped his arms around Ken to prevent him from escaping.

"What are you doing?"

Ken was just pushing himself up when he felt Schuldig start to pet him. Ken's eyes closed unconsciously and he let himself fall on top of man petting him. It didn't take long before he started to purr, much like he had last time. His purr was rumbling though the man underneath him.

/"Looks like he won't tell me anything."/

/"I forgot how stubborn he is. His stubbornness could rival a mule's."/

/"How could you forget something like that?"/

/"I was hoping he would open up, it would help him with all his pain. I should have known that he wouldn't open up and tell you so soon."/ The voice said sighing.

/"So what do I do?"/

/"You'll have to gain his trust and respect."/

/"How would I do that?"/

/"Tell him about your past."/

/"Can't I tell him something else?"/

/"No."/

/"Warum?"/

/"Because he won't tell you anything if he doesn't think you'll understand. He will think that you will just pity him and that is one thing he can't stand. So if he knows that you went through something similar he'll know that you understand how he feels and tell you. And besides it will be good for both of you to talk about it."/

/"Are you a shrink?"/

The voice in his head laughed. It was one of the nicest laughs that he had ever heard; it reminded him of a spring breeze, gentle and soothing.

While Schuldig was having a conversation in his head, he had been absently petting Ken. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity but yet felt like only a second before Schuldig spoke.

"Ken."

"Mmmm." He managed to get out through his purring.

"I won't force you to talk about anything but maybe it would help if you did."

"I'm not ready to talk about it." He said as he stopped purring.

"Well when you are, I'll be here for you. I understand how you feel."

"How could you possibly understand how I feel? The person that I thought loved me betrayed me and killed my antai." Ken spat out as he propped himself up to look at Schuldig.

"I did not lose someone important to me, so I don't how you feel." Schuldig said as he still continued to pet Ken. "But I do know how it feels to be betrayed."

"What do you mean?"

"I was also betrayed."

Ken's head tilled slightly to the side. "You were?"

"Ja. By the two people who were supposed to love and protect me."

"Who betrayed you?"

Schuldig looked up at the sky and continued petting the younger man. Ken waited patiently not wanting him to feel pressured, he began to purr lightly to show the other man that he knew what it was like to be betrayed and that he was there to offer comfort if he needed it. Schuldig looked at Ken and smiled. He had understood the meaning behind Ken's purring that time. He sighed and stopped petting Ken.

"My parents."

**OoOoOoO**

1. Just as Ken said, he asked why.

2. It means what, remember?

Keeper: I hoped this chapter was good enough for everyone. (fidgets in chair nervously) I know it wasn't much but Schuldig-sama was there! That's gotta account for something right? Right?

Mist: I'm sure they liked it. Now thank the reviewers.

HeeroDuo4eva: Thank you. I can't tell you who they are but you'll find out who they are in 9. Well their names anyways. To tell you the truth they weren't supposed to show up so soon they just kinda did. I wasn't planning on putting them in 9 but they showed up anyways and decided to do their own thing. Well hopefully I'll be able to learn it, since I will be going over there.

M4r1-ch4n: Do forgive! I was typing this as I was talking to my friends back home and I told Stephy-chan I needed two names so she spewed out that one and Mahon for me. It wasn't intentional I swear! If it makes you feel better I'll make sure he looks good (well I kinda was anyways) because just between you and me, you're gonna see him again. Thank you I was hoping for something different and I hope I succeeded.

Sachiko: I'm glad you liked this story and I hope I didn't scare you away. I try to put in a lot of description so people know how Ken-sama feels and everything else. I was afraid the plot wasn't going very well considering I only know a quarter of it.

Anendee: Thank you! It will be explained better later sometime, well it should be, not sure how I'm going to write it in. (hits head on desk) I was thinking about some Schu/Farf/Ken action anyways but wasn't sure, but you talked me into it. So I'll fit it in somewhere. Heh, no one can't resist Schuldig-sama! (drools at the thought of him.)

Artemis347: Thank you! I hope you continue to read and review.

Purdy-Puppy: DUDE! Wish I could have talked to you on Yahoo but like I said I was knocked out by four. Can't wait till I can come home and see you guys!

HeatherR: Yes, yes it would say that but to be honest I really didn't think of that. (scratches back of head looking sheepish) I was going crazy trying to figure out what I wanted to write for 10. I think I almost gave myself an ulcer stressing about it. Then I read your review and said to myself 'Self that's what you can write for 10! Note to self, remember to thank, glomp and tell Heather she's the greatest for pointing that out to your unobservant ass.' I told Mist to watch out for you cause you might try to steal him. You're not going to are you? (looking nervous about Heather trying to steal Mist)

Keeper: Whew! Those were some long replies.

Mist: Please review to make my Keeper happy and tell what she's doing wrong.


	8. I'll tell you mine

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: I have discovered the glory that is Side B!

Kou: What the hell are you talking about?

Keeper: Well I was looking at some Ken-sama pictures and stumbled upon a Side B site. It made me want to write a Side B fic and I think I will. I love Ken-sama's bugnuk in Side B they're so cool and and the way Ken-sama looks…oh my (gets a dreamy look)

Mist: (waves a hand in front of Keeper) I don't think she is going to be saying anything else for a while. As you can see my Keeper changed it to Supernatural/Angest because she realized that there is well, a lot of Ken angest. She is a little upset that the story isn't going how she wanted it.

Kou: Well in this chapter Keeper totally BSed Schuldig's past since she doesn't know it, AU, yaoi (eventually), fluffy-angest? Bad language, and her horrible grammar, so if you don't like it why the hell are you still reading?

Mist: My Keeper does not own Weiss, only the non-recognizable ones, so please don't sue her.

**OoOoOoO**

"Your parents?" He asked as he stopped purring.

"Ja. I was actually born to a wealthy family in Germany."

"So what happened? How did your parents betray you?"

"Well everything was nice until I turned four. That was when my telepathy started to develop. Since I couldn't talk that well people never realized that I was commenting on their thoughts, being only four I never really noticed that I was hearing people's thoughts." Schuldig said as he started to pet Ken again.

Ken began to purr lightly again from Schuldig petting him and also to comfort the older man.

"I never really noticed that when I was hearing people their mouths weren't moving. When I turned six and was able to speak better, the servants began to notice that I was making comments about things no one had said out loud. They began to gossip and started calling me a devil spawn. My mother over heard them one day and it broke her, she stayed in her room more and more just so she wouldn't have to hear the servants gossiping. My father didn't believe them, saying that they were idiotic servants that didn't know anything. My father never did like me much."

"Why?"

"I'm not really sure but I think it was because he got my mother pregnant and his father made him marry her. He never loved her because he was always cheating on her."

"That's horrible."

"Ja, well one day I ended up saying something at some business dinner my father was having. One of the guests had 'said' something rude about my father and I couldn't understand why he didn't kick the man out of the house, so being the naive little boy that I was, I asked my father why he didn't get mad at him for what he said. My father asked me what I was talking about so I told him what I had heard. Apparently he was talking about it earlier with someone else because he started yelling about the audacity that my father had to have his son spy on people. The man finally realized what he was saying and my father just smiled at him and then told him and his friend to get out. My father patted me on the head and then just dismissed me."

"My mother began staying in her room constantly so she wouldn't have to listen to what people said about me. My father was always thinking horrible things about my mother and I asked him why he called mother all those horrible names, and he had thought that I had over heard him talking so he beat me for it. I made a few more comments about some of my father's thoughts and he finally realized that I could hear people's thoughts and he began to beat me, he blamed my mother for me being a freak and he beat her for it. Because I was young I never understood why my father beat her all the time after that."

Schuldig stopped petting Ken and looked up to watch the leaves blowing softly in the wind. Ken waited patiently for him to come out of the memory he was reliving and finish telling him about his past. It must be hard for the older man to being telling him this because Ken knew that it would be hard for him when he finally decided to tell someone about his past. The telepath looked down at him and smiled. He started to pet Ken again like it helped to calm him.

"One day I made the mistake of commenting on one of my father's thoughts at dinner while my mother was there. My mother broke down and said she couldn't take any more of my father's cheating and beating her or of listening to the people talking about how she gave birth to a demon spawn and she ran away that night. My father blamed me for it and beat me. Women stopped coming to his bed, after about a month of not having anyone to share his bed with he blamed me for it again and beat me worse than what he used to. Then one night he got drunk and came to my room and said that since it was my fault that his wife left him and that no women would come to his bed any more that I should be a 'good little boy' and take their place." Schuldig had to stop because his voice was starting to break up.

Ken's eyes widened in horror. /He can't be saying that his own father…that his own father…/

"Yes, Tiger that's exactly what I'm saying. My own father rapped me when I was seven. He said that I was so good that he wouldn't worry about getting some tramp to keep him company when he had someone right here at his beck and call all the time. So he continued to come to my room until I tuned fourteen when I finally had enough and ran away."

Ken nuzzled Schuldig's chest much like a cat wanting attention would to try and offer him some comfort.

"That's so horrible how did you…how did you survive that?"

"I'm not sure. My father made me feel guilty, made me believe that it was my fault that mother left, he said it to me so much that I actually ended up believing him. And because of that it didn't bother me like it should have that my father was rapping me, it was almost like I felt like I had to do it, that I owed it to my father to make up it up to him for making his wife leave."

"So if you felt like you had to do it what made you finally leave?"

"Well I found out he began to bring in women and boys again and I also heard him thinking that he wanted to kill me."

"But why would he want to kill you?"

"Because of my telepathy he didn't think that I could control it and that one of his business rivals would lure me away and that I would tell him everything I knew about his company."

"You were able to control your telepathy?"

"Yes and no. When my mother left that was when I realized that I could hear people's thoughts, so I began to work on it so I could control it, I was able to after a while but when I ran away, I learned very quickly that I was only able to master for those few people in the mansion but when I got into the city, it was so over whelming it was driving me insane."

"What did you do?" Ken asked curiously.

"Isn't it obvious?" Schuldig smiled at the way Ken titled his head to the side in confusion. "I went insane."

"Schuldig." Ken gave him a half hearted growl.

The older man laughed. "Come now Tiger, I obviously managed to control it before it drove me insane."

"I wonder about that." Ken grumbled.

"Oh that hurt!" He said feigning mock hurt.

Ken snorted at that. "I somehow doubt that. So was it hard to learn how to control it with all those people around?"

"It was at first but I was finally able to get it under somewhat control after about two years. Then one day Brad found me and recruited me to Esset with the promise that he could help me. So I went with him and he taught me how to make barriers to protect myself so I didn't go stark raving mad."

"So it was Brad that taught you how to control it?"

"Not really control it, just protecting my self from all the voices. When Brad found me and promised to help me I thought he was some sort of angle and I fell in love with him.

"You're in love with Brad?"

"Well not any more, I realized later that I wasn't really in love with him I just thought I was because he was the first person who didn't hate me and was different like I was."

"Oh, so what's it like to be able to hear people's thoughts?"

"My aren't you full of questions. Well it's actually not all that great because you hear what people actually think about you or the people close to you. But the perks of it is you can find out anything you want about a person and scare the hell out of people when you talk to them and they think that they are hearing voices and are going crazy. That was always my favorite thing to do."

"Yeah you would do something like that."

/"Maybe now his stubborn ass will open up and talk."/ A female voice said with a hint of annoyance.

/"If he doesn't I'm going to be ignoring you from now on."/ Schuldig said as he stopped petting Ken.

/"You know you love talking to me Schuldig-san."/ The girl said laughing.

/"Sicheres, sicheres(1) but you know, all this time I've been talking to you, you know my name but are you ever going to tell me yours?"/

There was a pause and Schuldig was beginning to think that she wouldn't answer when she suddenly spoke.

/"I guess it is only fair that I tell you my name since I know yours. My name is Kumiko it is a pleasure to meet you Schuldig-san."/

"…Schuldig."

/"A little late for pleasantries don't you think?"/ Schuldig said laughing slightly. /"Kumiko, huh? That's a nice name."/

"Schuldig?"

The girl giggled. /"Why, thank you Schuldig-san. I like your name as well, it's nice."/

"Schuldig!"

"Was!" The flame haired man snapped out of his mental conversation to see Ken looking worriedly at him.

"You spaced out there for a minute are you alright?"

"Ja, sorry about that I was…listening to someone."

"Must have been pretty interesting." Ken said glaring slightly at him.

/"Gee nice one Schuldig-san, I don't think he bought that."/ Kumiko said sounding amused.

/"This is your fault Kumiko-_chan_."/

/"My fault?"/ She said in an indignant huff. /"Well ask him…uh…about soccer."/

/"Was? Why should I ask him that?"/

/"It might get him to start talking."/

"So mein Tiger(2) you like soccer?"

Ken scowled at him. "I wish you wouldn't use German, I think you use it just to make me mad. But to answer your question yes I do, I used to play on the J-league but I can't anymore. I can only kick the ball around by myself and if I'm lucky I'm able to play with the kids that usually play on Wednesday. It hurts that I can't do the only thing that I had ever wanted to do. It…it hurts so much that everything that I had loved was ripped away from me."

Ken was fighting to hold back his tears that were now threatening to spill. Schuldig pulled him down to him and laid his cheek against Ken's hair.

"It's alright mein trauriges(3) you'll feel better if you let it out." Schuldig whispered as he ran his hand up and down his back soothingly.

Ken started to cry into Schuldig's chest "I…it hurts, I feel like I'm dead…I should have been the one to die not her…"

"What happened to make you so sad Tiger?" Schuldig asked as he still ran his hand up and down the brunette's back.

Ken continued to cry into the other man's chest and Schuldig could just barely understand him mumbling into his chest. "He tried to kill me and then…and then he killed her…"

"Who Tiger?"

"It was…" Ken had begun and then stopped suddenly tensing.

"What's wrong?" The older man asked getting worried.

"Someone is coming."

Schuldig listened for a moment before finally saying. "I don't hear anyone."

"Trust me someone is coming. I can hear them." Ken said rubbing his face to get rid of the evidence that he had been crying only seconds ago.

"Are you…" Schuldig was cut off as a dog came bounding through the trees.

The dog stopped suddenly when it saw them. It lowered its head and started to growl at them, its hackles raised. The dog started to advance slowly baring its teeth. As soon as the dog started forward a girl looking about twelve came through the trees right behind the dog.

"Dou, get back here!" The girl yelled for her dog it stopped advancing but did not look at its master. She stopped running for her dog when she saw that he was growling, looking at where her dog was, she blushed. Dou was growling at two… lovers? That's what they had to be right? One was laying on top of the other so they had to be lovers. No one would be in that kind of position if they weren't. From where she was she could tell that it was two guys that were very good looking. The one on the bottom had his arms wrapped protectively around the other one.

Ken looked down at Schuldig and sighed. "I have to go now."

When Ken got up off of Schuldig, Dou tried to advance again but his master had quickly grabbed his collar to prevent him from going anywhere. Schuldig sat up and watched Ken disappear into the woods, when he couldn't see the youth anymore he shot the girl and her dog a look that would have killed them a hundred times over if looks could kill. The girl dragged her dog out of there as fast as she could.

/"Damn that stupid dog and its incompetent owner! Ken was finally going to open up and that idiotic dog had to run over this way! Why didn't its fucking owner keep a better hold on the stupid mutt!"/ Kumiko screamed in the telepath's head making him wince.

/"Not so loud please."/

/"But that stupid girl and her dog ruined everything!"/

/"Not necessarily. It has only been delayed for the time being."/

/"What do you mean?"/

/"Well if you'd be quite for a moment."/

/"Fine."/ She huffed.

/"Hey Tiger."/

/"What do you want Schuldig?"/

/"It would make you feel better if you talked about it, I'll be here if you ever want to."/

/"I'll think about it."/

/"Happy now?"/ Schuldig asked Kumiko.

/"Well he never said that he would talk to you."/

/"No, but he will."/

/"You don't know him well enough to say that."/

/"May be not, but I know he will come talk to me, because I told him my past and it will eat at him until he does something to return the trust I placed in him by telling him my past. Which brings me to my question, how do you know Ken?"/

/"He is someone very important to me. I want to take his pain away but I am unable to, I can only watch over him as he suffers powerless to do anything about it."/ Kumiko said sounding very depressed.

/"How is he important to you? And how come you can't help him?"/

/"He is my other half and I am his, maybe I'll tell you more about it if you are still willing to talk to me after Ken talks to you."/

/"Why would I stop talking to you after Ken tells me about his past?"/ Schuldig asked sounding confused.

/"You will find out in time."/

**OoOoOoO**

1. Sure, sure

2. My Tiger

3. My sad one

Keeper: Hehe Schuldig-sama already has pet names for Kenken. Well now we know her name. You would not believe how hard this was for me to write, it may not look like much but for some reason it was hard to write……I have decided to make a sequel to this story! So for those of you waiting for Ran/Ken…..I'm sorry it won't really come until the sequel but there will be little fluff moments for them though. I hope you guys aren't to mad about this.

Mist: Thank the reviewers

HeeroDuo4eva: Thank you! Hehe me either. I can just see Schuldig using little words here and there especially if it irritates someone.

Constantine: Thank you! I'm glad you liked this. As for Germany everyone keeps telling me some places to check out while I'm there, have anything to add? That's so cool that you're mostly German!

M4r1-ch4n: Thank goodness (wipes nervous sweat from face) Yes I know how you love Schu, because you're a fellow Schu whore! Mwahaha so you figured out who was speaking to Schuldig-sama huh? GASP! Are you cheating on Schuldig-sama with Ken-sama? I wouldn't mind seeing that either!

HeatherR: Yes you're just panicing here (hands Mist over so Heather can pet him) Yes it should be Ran petting, but not yet. There will be only Ran petting Ken in the sequel though. Like I said which one is it? Last chance to guess cause you find out what her relationship with Ken-sama is in the next chapter.

Kou: WHAT THE HELL! How can you just pass Mist around like he's a pet? First that female kisses him and now you're letting her pet him!

Keeper: I asked him first!

Kou: Is that true Mist? (turns to look at Mist being petted by Heather)

Mist: Purrrrrrr

Kou: Oh. My. God. He's purring!

Keeper: See? He doesn't mind.

Kou: How could you Mist?

Mist: Purrrrrrr

Keeper: Someone sounds jealous.

Kou: I AM NOT!

Keeper: (snorts) Yeah right.

Kou: (walks away grumbling and slams the door closed)

Mist: Purrrrrrrr (looks up when he hears the door slam) Errr…Please review and tell my Keeper what she is doing wrong. (gets comfy again) Purrrrrrrr


	9. You tell me yours

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Sorry, I know I'm a couple of days late. I have no idea what I was thinking when I wrote this chapter, but I blame it on lack of sleep and having to smell diesel fuel all day.

Bane: Keeper does not own the Weiss boys, she does however own the non recognizable people though. So you would be wasting your time if you sued her.

Keeper: Yeah cause all you would get is a uniform that has oil stains and smells like diesel fuel.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken walked slowly down the street with his head bowed. He wasn't in any hurry to get back to the stuffy shop and he needed to think about what had just happened. He sighed and looked around like he was waiting for an answer in bright flashing lights to jump out and tell him what he was supposed to do.

/What would you do antai?./ Ken thought as looked up to the sky.

He sighed and looked back down at the ground. He wasn't sure how long he wandered around aimlessly thinking if he should tell Schuldig about his past or not. Ken's head snapped up suddenly when he caught a familiar scent.

Blood.

He followed the scent around a building, when he rounded the building he saw a child about five or six sitting on the ground holding his knee. Ken growled lightly and began to stalk the child. When he was about ten feet away the child's mother went up to him to see what was wrong, making Ken realize what he was doing.

/What the hell was I doing! I wanted to hunt that kid just because he scrapped his knee and drew blood./

Ken shook his violently to get rid of the urge to hunt. He took of running suddenly, startling a few people as he ran past them. Ken was too busy cursing himself that he wasn't paying attention to were he was going and ended up running into someone. The person had managed to stay on their feet while Ken fell sprawled out on to the ground.

"WHAT THE FUCK! WATCH WHERE…"

Ken looked up from his spot on the ground when the person now identified as a male trailed off from his yelling. Ken slowly brought his eyes up the man's form starting at his boots which were black but if he looked hard enough he could make out a dark blue design in them. Dark blue pants were tucked into the boots around his left thigh was a black bandana and had a black belt around his waist. His shirt was a crimson red color with long sleeves. He had another black bandana tied around his upper right arm, wrapped around his fore arms were what looked liked bandages, which started in the middle of his fore arm and also included the end of the sleeve and ended at his wrists. Ken finally made it up to the man's head and saw that he had dark brown hair that mostly covered his eyes, but Ken could tell that his eyes were a brilliant green color like jade.

Ken had never seen anyone like him before. If Ken was asked to describe him later the only thing that he would be able to come up with to describe him would be breath taking. He was well-built but not overly so. The man held himself well like he knew he could handle anything thrown at him and he also had that underlying sense about him that said he would kill you if you so much as looked at him in away that he did not like. He had a power, an aura that Ken had never felt before and it scared him. The man smirked at Ken when he saw that Ken was staring at him.

"Well are you going to just sit there all day and stare at me or are you going to get up?" The man asked his voice sounding like the shadows if they could speak. He held his hand out to Ken.

Ken stared at the hand in confusion for a moment before it dawned on him that the stranger was offering to help him up. Not wanting to offend him, Ken grabbed his hand the man pulled him up easily like he weighed nothing.

"I'm sorry I ran into you, I was in a hurry and I wasn't watching where I was going." Ken said looking at the ground feeling a little embarrassed. From where Ken was standing next to the man he could easily smell him. He smelled like shadows and fire with the faintest hint of mist and also of blood.

The man laughed. "So it would seem. It's alright, just don't do it again."

Ken let out the breath that he didn't know he was holding. Ken looked up giving him an apologetic smile and met his… blue eyes? Ken's smile faltered and his brows knitted in confusion. Hadn't his eyes been green? He briefly wondered if he had been mistaken and realized that he hadn't. Before they were the color of jade but now they were the color of the clear blue ocean.

"Something wrong little one?" Amusement colored the dark voice of the stranger.

"N…no. It's just that I thought your eyes were green and now they're blue." Ken stammered out, there was something about this man that scared him. Ken could feel the power radiating off of him, it was overwhelming and Ken had the sense that this man in front of him was keeping his power in check. Ken had no desire to find out just how far the 'iceberg' went under the water.

"Yes they were green. My eyes change color so I have no definite eye color."

"Oh. I've never seen anyone whose eyes change color like that."

"Well now you have. You looked like you were in a hurry little one so you should be on your way now." The man moved up to Ken so he could whisper in his ear. "And besides we wouldn't want you to be late to wherever it is you need to be, now would we little shapeshifter?"

Ken tensed and his eyes widened in shock. "How did…"

The man laughed. "Tell me, can you sense the power coming from me?" When Ken nodded he went on. "It is the same for me, I can sense the power coming from you. And I know what a shapeshifter feels like. Well it also doesn't hurt that my partner is a true shapeshifter like you."

"Your partner is a… shapeshifter?"

"Yes he is, and he wants to meet you."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure myself; there is something he wants to find out."

"What could he possibly find out from me?"

"That is something you will have to ask him yourself." With that the man walked away.

Ken watched him until he turned a corner disappearing from view. Sighing again Ken turned and walked back to the Koneko.

/So there is another true shapeshifter in town. I wonder if he was the one that killed our target last night./

**OoOoOoO**

The dark haired man walked into his apartment that he shared with his partner. He scanned the room looking for his companion, his eyes stopped at the couch when he saw a leg draped over the back of it. He made his way over to the couch and peered over to see his companion sprawled out with his one leg draped over the back his other stretched out on the couch. One arm was slung across his eyes and the other was draped over the arm rest hanging down.

The man on the couch was wearing a grey sleeveless shirt that had a high collar and was 'v' cut so it exposed a little of his chest, tucked into dark brown pants and had black boots. On his left arm that was draped on the arm rest he had a dark blue arm band that went from the wrist to half way up his fore arm and on his right arm a black bandana tied around his upper arm and a red one was tied under it. A black cloth choker that had two pieces that had an 'x' between them adorned his neck. Each ear had a total of five small dark blue hoop earrings, on the right ear he had three on the bottom and two on the cartilage, his left ear was the opposite with two on the bottom and three on the cartilage. He had short black hair with two ear tails that reached almost to his waist, each ear tail was bound half way down the length of the hair with a dark blue metal clasp that had teeth patterns on the top and bottom making it look almost like a mouth. The clasps had two strings with tassels on the end that went down the rest of the length of the hair.

The man came around the couch and lifted up his partner's leg so he could sit down. The other removed his arm from across his face reviling his yellow-green eyes and four scars around his left eye, three on the bottom and one above his eye.

"Well Mist, I ran into that shapeshifter, or rather he ran into me." The man said as he placed his partner's leg on his lap.

"Is that so, did you kill him?"

"No, I was about to when I realized that it was him and if I killed him before you could talk to him you would kill me."

The other laughed sliding his other leg off of the back of the couch so it rested behind the other man. "I could never kill you, I would be pissed as hell but I could never kill you."

"That's good to know."

"So Kou, what did you say to him?"

"I just told him that you wanted to meet him and that there was something you wanted to find out."

"And what did he say?"

"He was a little confused and asked what could you possibly find out from him."

"You said he ran into you?" Mist asked propping himself up on a hand.

"Yes, he was running and ran into me as I came out of a shop."

"Then his scent should be on you." Mist leaned forward and began to sniff at Kou's chest. "Hmmm…he's a tiger but….there is something wrong…"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not sure I would have to meet him to find out what it is that is wrong."

"Do you want to go visit him?"

"No, not right now. I want to finish my nap that was interrupted."

Mist draped himself on Kou's lap. Kou chuckled lightly and began to pet him running his hand from the top of Mist's head down his back much like one would pet a cat. Mist began to purr softly and soon fell asleep to the soothing feeling of just being near Kou and him petting him.

**OoOoOoO**

As Ken walked back to the Koneko he kept thinking about the man that he had ran into just a few moments ago. The man was obviously not a shapeshifter and Ken didn't have the slightest clue of what he was. He entertained the small idea that maybe he was a vampire and then quickly dismissed it since vampires could not go out in the sun. Maybe he was a wizard or mage or something like that? He certainly had enough power to possibly be one, but somewhere in the back of his head told him that it was wrong. He thought about how the man had looked almost _ethereal_ when Ken thought that, he immediately thought 'angel'. He scoffed at that when he remembered what the man's power had felt like, it was too dark and malicious to be an angels.

It never crossed his mind that the stranger could be a demon, because demons after all are ugly and foul creatures that had hash voices, right?

Ken made it back to the Koneko and went in. He decided that he didn't want to go around back so he went in the shop. He was greeted by Omi as soon as he walked in.

"Welcome to the Koneko…oh Ken-kun it's you. I didn't know you left."

"Yeah I went out the back way."

"So where did you go?"

"To the park." Which it wasn't a lie but wasn't the whole truth either. They didn't need to know that he was actually on his way to get another soccer ball but was stopped by Schuldig and then went with him to the woods in the park.

"Meeting a pretty lady?" Yohji asked from behind him.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no I wasn't." Ken growled at him and turned away to go upstairs.

"Man who pissed in his cheerio's?" Yohji asked glaring at the spot Ken had been standing at.

"Be nice Yohji-kun!" Omi scolded him.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken fumed going up the stairs. He had been fine until Yohji said something, for some reason the older man always seemed to grate on his nerves when ever he spoke. Omi was sometimes annoying when he got too hyper and he tended to worry too much, but other than that he liked the young blond. And then there was Aya, not that he spent much time around the quite redhead but when he did it was soothing. Ken had recently noticed that the older man had an aura that he had never sensed before and he wondered why he never noticed it before. The aura that Aya had was soothing it felt like a winter wind, cold and refreshing and it made him forget about the heat and calmed him. And the way he smelled--he smelled like winter itself, of earth, and death.

Ken walked into the living room to see Aya sitting in a chair reading a book. Never wanting to miss an opportunity to be near him and the soothing coolness that came from him, wandered over to him to see what he was reading.

"Hey Aya, what are you reading?" Ken inquired coming to stand as close to him as he could get.

Aya raised an eyebrow when he noticed how close Ken got to him but didn't say anything. He had noticed that the younger man tended to shift closer to him unconsciously when they were in the same room and he also noticed that when the brunette was around him, he seemed calmer.

Aya held the book up for Ken to see the cover. Ken immediately recognized the book, it was actually one of his and he had been wondering what happened to it. It was about a dragon king that was unable to transform into a dragon because his twin brother had stole something from him to prevent him from transforming into the dragon. (1)

"I was wondering what happened to my book." Ken said grinning.

"I saw you reading it and thought that it must be good if it caught your attention."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ken pouted.

"Nothing except for soccer holds your attention for very long." Aya replied with what looked like could be a smile tugging at his lips.

Ken laughed. "True, but when soccer season is over I do like to do other things like reading."

"Do you want your book back?"

"No, you can give it back when you finish. So do you like it so far?"

"Yes, it's interesting."

"Wouldn't it be cool if people could change into animals?"

The redhead quirked an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Wouldn't it be interesting if you could turn into an animal?"

"I suppose." Aya shrugged.

"What kind of animal would you be?"

"I don't know, I never thought about it."

"I think you would be a wolf."

"Why?"

"Well because wolves are loyal and protect those in their pack but they can also be loners. You're kind of a mix of both."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you're pretty much a loner but you would protect what you consider yours."

"May be. What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What kind of animal would you be?"

"Well that's easy, I would be a white Siberian tiger." Ken said grinning.

"And why would that be?"

"Because they are grace and power rolled into one. They are magnificent and beautiful creatures; there are no words to describe them when you see one in motion."

"You really like tigers don't you?"

"Yes I do. You know the White Tiger is one of the Four Heavenly Beings and it is also said that in China that the tiger was the king of all animals and lord of the mountains." (2)

"So are you saying that you want to be the king of all animals or a god?" Aya asked.

"No, I don't want to be anything like that but I must admit that it would be kinda nice to be a god." Ken said with a big grin.

"That'll be the day, a god that trips over his own feet." Aya said as he smirked.

"So you have jokes today, eh?" Ken asked laughing and started to walk away. "I'll let you get back to reading now."

/I wonder what put him in a good mood?./

**OoOoOoO**

Ken went straight to his room, for once not needing to take a shower to cool down. He paced around his room thinking about the man he had ran into earlier for about an hour before his mind wandered to Schuldig. He spent the whole time thinking if he should tell Schuldig about his past or not, he after all had trusted Ken enough to tell him about his past and Ken knew that he was telling the truth. Maybe Schuldig was right if he talked about it, it might help. Omi had came to get him for dinner and right after, Ken had decided to go to bed.

**OoOoOoO**

Ken was down to the shop before Aya was, so he opened the storefront shutter. When he did so he noticed his soccer ball sitting right in front of the door, he picked it up and looked at it for a minute.

/"Schuldig?"/

/"Yes, Tiger?"/

/"Ummm….Are you busy later?"/

/"Nein."/

/"….Do you think we could meet later?"/

/"Ja, where and when do you want to meet?"/

/"How about the same place at two?"/

/"Alright, I'll see you then kleiner Tiger."/(3)

**OoOoOoO**

/"So you're going to meet him later?"/

/"Ja. We're meeting at two at the same place."/

/"Finaly! This time no one better interrupt or else!"/

/"Or else? What are you going to do?"/ Schuldig asked sounding amused.

/"Uh…I don't know, but I'm sure I'll come up with something."/ Kumiko said huffing.

/"Sure you will. Don't worry I won't let anyone interfere this time."/

/"You better not."/

**OoOoOoO**

The day was uneventful and went by quickly for Ken. When his shift was up at noon he went up stairs to take a shower so he wouldn't be so sweaty when he met up with Schuldig.

Ken headed out the back way again and made his way toward the park. When Ken got to the park he stopped a couple of times to watch the children playing.

/It's been too long since I've played soccer with the kids./ Ken thought as he started walking to the woods again.

He made it to the tree that they had sat under yesterday. He noticed that Schuldig was not there yet so he went and sat down under the tree to wait for him. Ken didn't have to wait long, as soon as he had sat down and made himself comfortable Schuldig stepped out and came over to sit next to Ken.

"You weren't waiting long were you, Tiger?" Schuldig asked turning to look at Ken.

"No, I just got here myself." Ken replied as he looked at the clouds.

Schuldig studied Ken as he gazed at the clouds. He waited patiently for Ken to talk, he wouldn't push Ken to talk because if he did Ken would clam up and never talk about it. Schuldig didn't want him to feel pressured to talk but when he did feel he could talk about it, Schuldig made sure Ken knew he would be there to listen to him.

"You know," Ken said breaking the silence. "I barely remember my parents, they died when we were about five."

"We?"

"My antai and me. We were adopted not long after. Our adopted parents were nice at first, then one day it was like they became different people. For some reason they never liked my antai much they didn't like her playing the violin, they would always tell her that she would never be good at it. But she never let it get to her, she never really let anything get to her. She was always looking at the bright side of things. She usually managed to get me to look at the bright side also. After she died it's hard to see the bright side of things."

"How did she die?"

"She was burned alive."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"It was Kase. He was my best friend since I was little and we had been a couple for a little over a year when he betrayed me and killed her. He became jealous of the time I spent with my antai and from the attention I was getting in the league. He told me that he would never be recognized if I was there but now that I think about it, he was a good player but not good enough to stand out and get attention. So even if I wasn't there he still wouldn't have been recognized anyway."

Ken sighed and gathered his thoughts this would be the hard part, telling him what happened that day.

"One day Kase asked me to meet him at a warehouse, my instincts were telling me that something was wrong but I didn't listen to it because it was Kase and he wouldn't ever do anything. Oh how wrong I was. When I got there I asked him what was wrong and he told me I was the problem and the next thing I knew he hit me. I asked him why he hit and if I did anything wrong, he told me I did everything wrong I didn't understand what he was talking about. He yelled at me that everyone loves me and because of that no one notices him and that is why he'll never be recognized with me around and that's why he had to get rid of me." Ken stopped for a moment so he wouldn't start crying before he got it all out.

"So me being the idiot that I am, I thought he was talking about dumping me. After he hit me again I tried to leave that was when he made it clear that he wanted to kill me. Someone came up and grabbed me from behind so I couldn't get away…well I could have gotten away but I was so shocked and confused I couldn't do anything. He then told them to beat me but not kill me, and then he left and these three guys started to hit me. Kase eventually comes back and starts to pour something on me, at first I couldn't understand why the water was burning and then I realized it wasn't water it was gas. He tried to burn me alive and the he went and did the same to my antai. He sat our house on fire with her and our parents in there. I was able to get her out but it was too late, she…she was burned too badly her skin was black and falling off, an arm was hanging by just a piece of skin, a leg had fallen off, and her face…it…it was half gone I could see the bones in her face."

Now that he had finally finished telling Schuldig about his past Ken broke down crying. Schuldig pulled Ken to him and began to pet him to comfort and calm him down. When Ken finally did calm down, Schuldig decided to ask a question that was flying around in his head.

"Your antai is your sister?"

"Yes, my twin sister."

**OoOoOoO**

1. I was looking at my books trying to come up with a book for Aya to read, but unfortunately all of my books are something that I can't see him reading so I picked this one. It's called Dragon's Winter by Elizabeth Lynn. It's a good book you should go read it.

2. I found this somewhere when I was looking up tiger gods, but I can't remember where I found it though.

Keeper: I hope this chapter was okay. I hope I described Mist and Kou good could someone please tell me if I did okay describing them? I was typing up the next chapter and I realized that it isn't going how I wanted, but then I don't have it planed out well. So I made an outline for this.

Bane: It looks more like an outline of an outline of an outline and it's not even finished. (holds up an outline that is crying because it's pathetic)

Keeper: That wasn't very nice.

Shade: Why don't you thank the reviewers.

Heather: YAY! You get the prize! Ummm…If I had one. (looks around for something) I know! I'll Let you pet Mist again if he doesn't mind. I'll ask him when he gets back. I bet you didn't think it would be his twin did you? When I was reading your story and seen that you gave him a twin too I was like 'Crap! I hope she doesn't think I'm trying to copy or something.'

Constantine: I shall visit the places you suggested! Thank you. I know I see that too, they must have it written out or something already. I can barely get six pages out in a month.

Anendee: Your welcome! Don't feel bad, mine is shut down for ten months out of the year and I never have anything intelligent to say, just ask the guys I work with…Errr on second thought that might not be good for me.

Mistress of Muses: Thank you. I hope you read the rest of the chapter and that you continue to keep reading.

Keeper: Next chapter we learn a little more about Kumiko and why she is talking to our Schuldig-sama. And Aya is suspicious of Ken-sama.

Shade: Please review.


	10. Do Explain

**Time to Burn**

Keeper: Sorry it took me so long, but I'm home and I don't have the internet.

Mist: My Keeper does not own the Weiss boys, so I would appreciate it if you did not sue her.

Kou: This is AU, bad language, eventual yaoi, and her horrible grammar. So if you don't like it, too bad.

Keeper: This chapter is dedicated to HeatherR because I was stressing out trying to come up with something (almost gave myself an ulcer) and she said something in a review and gave me the idea. So THANKYOU HeatherR!

**OoOoOoO**

"Your twin sister? So since you're twins that means she was a shapeshifter too, right?"

"Yes, we were both white tigers."

"White? Those are rare."

"Yes. They are rare among tigers and they are practically unheard of among shapeshifters."

"Is that so? Yes I would defiantly say that you are a rare one, that's why I'm intrigued by you." Schuldig said grinning.

Ken growled at him. "I don't like that look on your face."

"What are you talking about Tiger?" Schuldig's grin got bigger.

"My name is Ken." The brunette growled out.

"Right, right. So Ken do you have anyone you're seeing?"

Ken narrowed his eyes at the older man. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything."

"What?" Ken barely managed to get out as Schuldig grabbed the side of his face and began to bring it closer to his face.

/"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"/ Kumiko screamed at Schuldig causing him to flinch.

Ken looked at Schuldig when he felt him flinch. The telepath looked like he was having a conversation with someone.

/"Must you yell that loud?"/

/"YES! How dare you try to….to….to corrupt him!"/

/"Corrupt him? In case you were not listening, I am not the first one to touch him and not the only male."/

/"That is not the point!"/

/"Then what is the point?"/

/"I know what you want to do with him and I won't let you put your dirty hands on him!"/

/"Is that so? You make it sound like I'm some kind of rapper. I might enjoy tormenting people, but I assure you that I would never do anything of the sort."/

/"I'm still not going to let you touch him."/

/"Why don't you let Ken decide if he wants me to touch him or not. He is more than capable of taking my head off if he doesn't appreciate my advances."/

Kumiko huffed and left Schuldig alone. Ken noticed that Schuldig looked like he was done talking to who ever it was he was talking to.

"It looks like you were having an interesting conversation."

"You could say that."

"Was it Crawford?" Ken asked.

"No, it was someone else throwing a hissy fit."

"Who was it?" Ken asked tilting his head to the side.

"Don't worry about it, it was no one important."

"….Okay."

"So Ken, you never answered my question."

"What question?"

Schuldig rolled his eyes and was about to repeat his question from earlier, when it started to down pour. Ken looked up and watched the clouds for a second before standing up and looking down at Schuldig.

"It's getting late, I should go."

Ken turned around and started walking away. Schuldig sat up as Ken stopped and turned around, he looked as though he wanted to say something but changed his mind and started walking again. Schuldig waited until he couldn't see Ken anymore before calling out to the girl who had been yelling at him not a minute earlier.

/"Kumiko."/

/"Yes, Schuldig-san?"/

/"Would you care to explain how you are talking to me when you are dead?"/

**OoOoOoO**

Ken got home and went straight to his room and took a nap. He woke up a couple of hours later to get something to eat. He had just finished a sandwich when Omi came in.

"Ken-kun, could you come to the living room?" Omi asked.

"What is it?"

"I think you should see this."

Omi and Ken entered the living room to find Yohji and Aya watching the television. Ken looked over to see what they were watching and saw that they were watching the news. His attention was caught when the words mauled bodies were said.

"_Yesterday about twelve people were found murdered. Nine of those people look as though an animal attacked them. Six of the nine just had their throats ripped out, while the other three where ripped apart looking like the animal had tried to eat them. One of the men that looked like they were eaten had his heart ripped out of his chest._

_The men that were murdered were part of a drug ring that mostly sold to children run by Mahon. The police had been after this man for years but was unable to find enough evidence to arrest him."_

Aya turned off the television and crossed his arms. Everyone was quiet for a few moments lost in their own thoughts.

/Well I know that eight of those people were killed by me, I wonder if it was that shapeshifter that guy mentioned earlier. It might not have been a shapeshifter though, it could have been a tamer that got his animals to kill him, but I didn't smell any animals./

"They said that nine people were mauled. We know from Aya-kun that one of them was the target that we were after. And there were eight other people, so they must have been the guards. You said you took them all out, didn't you Ken-kun?" Omi said turning to look at Ken causing the others to look at him also, Ken still lost in thought didn't notice that Omi had spoken to him and now everyone was looking at him.

"Ken-kun, you said you took out all the guards, right?" Omi asked him again, effectively snapping him out of his thoughts.

/Shit. Now I'm going to have to come up with a lie. Gods I hate having to lie to people./

"Did you see anything while you were taking care of the guards?" Aya asked.

"No, I didn't."

"Nothing at all? You didn't see any type of animal that could do something like this?" Omi asked.

"No."

"Are you sure Kenken?"

"For the last time, I. Didn't. See. _Anything._" Ken growled out. /How many times are they going to ask that damn question/

"Geez. Alright, calm down Kenken."

"And my name is _Ken_, not Kenken!" Ken spat out at Yohji.

"Calm down Ken-kun, we need to figure out what could have done this."

Ken walked over to a corner to get as far away from Yohji as he could get with out leaving the room.

"Does anyone have an idea of what could have done this?" Omi asked everyone.

No one said anything. Aya noticed that Ken was looking at everything but the other people in the room.

"What do you think could have done this, Ken?" Aya asked him.

"I don't know, a tiger maybe. It could have done something like this." Ken said still not looking at anyone.

Aya narrowed his eyes. /He not telling us something. A Siberian is a type of tiger, but there's no way that Ken could have partially eaten someone. What's he hiding?./

**OoOoOoO**

/"Well, are you going to tell me? I've been waiting all day for an explanation."/

Kumiko sighed. /"I'm talking to you because you are a telepath."/

/"Yes, I know I'm a telepath, but that doesn't explain how you are talking to me since you are dead."/

/"What makes you think that I'm dead, Schuldig-san?"/

/"Because Ken said you died in his arms."/

/"He said his sister died in his arms."/

/"That is you, you even said it yourself. I believe your words were 'he is my other half and I am his.' So since you are each others other half that means you are his twin sister."/

/"That's not necessarily true."/

/"I'm getting tired of this! Stop avoiding the issue and answer how the hell you are talking to me when you are dead."/ Schuldig spat out starting to get irritated.

/"Alright, I'll tell you."/

/"About damn time."/ Schuldig said sounding irritated.

/"You don't have to be so mean about it. Well when I died, I was so upset that I would be leaving my nii-san alone, I wanted to stay with him no matter what. I was looking at nii-san holding my body, just right after he left because the police were coming, I head someone behind me. I turned around to see who it was and couldn't believe my eyes because it was Byakko standing there."/

/"…Byakko?"/

/"Yes, the White Tiger God Byakko."/

/"What did he say to you?"/

**&&&&&**

_Ken cried as he watched as his sister slowly died in his arms, his sister's sprit sadly watching him. Not long after she died Ken could hear the sirens of the police cars and fire trucks. Ken gently set his sister on the ground._

"_I'm sorry imouto, but I have to go now before they see me. Please forgive me for not being able to stay with you longer." Ken looked at his sister one last time and then ran off into the woods._

"_Nii-san…" Kumiko watched as Ken ran into the woods._

_**I'm sorry my child, it pains me to say that you can no longer continue to live in this world.**_

_Kumiko turned around to see who was talking and gasped. Standing behind her was a white tiger the size of a horse with long fur on its neck.(1)_

"_Are you…are you Byakko?"_

**_Yes. I'm sorry this had to happen my child and it is unfortunate that you had to leave him like this._**

_Kumiko looked sad as she looked in the direction that Ken had ran off in. "But I can't leave my nii-san by himself."_

**_I know little one, I can not resurrect you so you can be with him, the only thing I can do is to let you watch over him in this form. You will be able to do so until he finds his mate. When he does you will pass on. But because you will be in this form he will not be able to see or hear you._**

"_Thank you Byakko-sama, this means so much to me that you are allowing me this." Kumiko bowed to the Tiger God and headed towards where Ken disappeared into the woods._

_Byakko stood there watching as she disappeared into the woods. **It will be hard on the child not being able to help her brother when he is in pain. There will be much suffering before anyone can be happy. And he will suffer the most because he refuses to accept what he is. **Byakko turns around and starts walking away. The white tiger disappears after a few feet and a single paw print is the only evidence that he was ever there._

**&&&&**

/"So, Byakko is allowing you to watch over Ken."/ Schuldig said sounding thoughtful.

/"Yes, he was kind enough to take pity on me and let me watch over nii-san."/

/"But that still doesn't answer my question, how are you able to talk to me?"/

/"I believe it is because you are a telepath, you hear thoughts, and even though I am no longer alive I still have thoughts and feelings like I am still alive."/

/"I guess that would make sense."/

/"So I figured that since you could hear me, you could help nii-san since I can not. I was not expecting you two to be enemies though."/

/"I am not his enemy by choice. I wish that we could have met under different circumstances. I would very much like to know how he is in bed."/ Schuldig said sniggering.

/"Oh my god! Don't you dare try anything with him or I'll make you pay!"/ Kumiko yelled at him.

/"Or you'll what? Nag me until he finds his mate? You want him to be happy do you not?"/

/"…Yes."/ Kumiko replied hesitantly.

/"What if it is me that he will be happy with? Would you deny him that just because it will be with another guy?"/

/"I don't have a problem with nii-san being with another guy as long as he is happy."/

/"Then what problem do you have with me?"/

/"I know what you want him for, you just want to have sex with him!"/

/"I do admit that I wonder what it would be like to have a shapeshifter for a lover, but I would never force him to do something that he does not want to do. And besides, as I said earlier, if he does not appreciate my advances he is more than capable that ripping my head off. You only know what I want you to know, so if you would be so kind as to not yell at me next time I try to make any advances on our temperamental Tiger."/

/"What do you mean I only know what you want me to know?"/

/"Do you really think I would let you wonder around in my thoughts? The only reason you found out about my past without me saying anything is because I didn't shield myself, I didn't think anyone could read my thoughts and when you did I put up a barrier around my thoughts that I didn't want you seeing."/

/"So what thoughts are you hiding, Schuldig-san?"/

/"You'll never know, Kumiko-_chan_"/

**OoOoOoO**

1. Think Byakko from Yami no Matsuei (Descendants of Darkness). I like how the fur was around his neck, so I kinda borrowed him.

Keeper: Well now we know about the girl that talks to Schuldig-sama. I made that one part a flash back cause it was easier, it was to save my sanity.

Mist: Thank the reviewers.

Heather: You don't remember what he is! He's a panther, but don't tell anyone. Just between you and me they will meet in 12. See? Says right here on my outline (holds up a crying outline)

M4r1-ch4n: Whaaa! Thank you! Hmmm….never thought of it that way. But between you and me Ran has his own little secret and that is why Ken likes be around him, but you'll have to wait for that to come out.

Anendee: I already told you this…..but no I don't mind if you want to. My friend scanned the pics for me if you want to see them to get a better idea of how they look. It made me so happy that you asked that!


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